Desert Rose
by Jeanne St. Croix
Summary: A different Mummy story, set in our time. Features Ardeth Bay, Imhotep and some characters of my own. Please rr! COMPLETE!
1. Chapter one

Author's comments: OK, this is my first-ever attempt at fanfic, so I would appreciate it very much if you didn't burn me at the stake.  I've been writing this for about two years, but I never got the chance to finish it (I'm currently working on that) and I've never dared to publish it. That's why I want to thank Drach and Laurus for their encouragement. It's gonna be a long story, focused mainly on my original character and Ardeth Bay, with sequels and everything. And now, on to some explanations:

_This is Arabic_

This is regular English

This is Ancient Egyptian

Disclaimer: I don't own Ardeth Bay (which is unfair 'cause he owns my heart and thoughts), Imhotep, Anck-su-namun or anything related to The Mummy movie. They belong to Stephen Sommers, Universal Studios and the rest of the cool people who made this film possible. I'm just borrowing them for a little while. No infringement intended, so please, don't sue this poor and devaluated Argentinean writer.

CHAPTER ONE

Outside the ancient Egyptian city of Keethar al Pharos, Jean Marquet, with her head wrapped against the invading wind and sand, was overseeing the ruins. Her khaki pants and shirt were hardly the height of New York fashion, but they were far more practical. She scanned the horizon. The heat shimmer made it look like the entire desert was melting into one enormous tawny puddle. She sipped from her canteen, making a face at the warm, metallic taste of the water. As she went inside the city, a horseman dressed in black appeared on the ridge of a dune and observed her.

'Why am I here?' The question kept coming to her mind, but she had no answer for it. She knew most people would think that a woman her age who went to Cairo alone had to be crazy; and she was tempted to admit they would be right: the looks she got from men everywhere she went were alarming. But she had flown to Egypt without telling anybody, because of an internal need, because something told her she had to be there, but what for? And then there were the dreams, violent, terrifying nightmares about war, death and a dark presence trying to seize her. One night, she woke up screaming and found a strange mark in her arm, it was red and swollen, but she could see it was a triangle with some Egyptian signs inside it, signs she didn't understood; within the following days, the mark became more clear, and so did the dreams. 

She was afraid she might have been losing her mind, but the physical evidence was undeniable: every time after she had a nightmare, the mark bled and became clearer. So she was in that god-forsaken place looking for answers. Of course, getting there had been awfully challenging, but for a pretty huge amount of money, she had found a decent man who led her into the desert up to the ruins. 'He wasn't that decent, though,' she thought, as she got distracted for a minute and then he was nowhere to be found. But she would worry about getting out of there later. In that moment, she felt the urge to explore.  'Funny,' Jean thought, as she entered a narrow hallway completely covered by sand. 'I feel like I've been here before.'

The airline had lost her suitcase, so she was only carrying a purse with her passport and all her money and a backpack with some makeup, a hairbrush, a set of clean underwear and other necessities. She had first wondered how would she manage without any clean clothes, but now her mind was busy with different thoughts.

Mechanically, she reached out a hand and touched a symbol that resembled a bird. Suddenly the wall receded, revealing the entrance to a tomb. She followed the path and faced a wall covered with more symbols; when she looked at them, many words came to her mind: Imhotep, Med-jai, Hamunaptra. 'God, what's going inside my head?' Without even thinking, she kept on walking until she reached a dark, gloomy chamber. When she was about to enter it, a man grabbed her from behind and covered her mouth with his hand.

"This is no place for you, ma'am"

Jean fought desperately, but the man was too strong for her, despite the fact that his voice seemed to belong to someone young; finally, she gave up and was dragged towards the exit. There, the man faced her, without letting her go.

"What were you doing inside this place?"

"I just…I don't know."

"Well, we will have to find out then." Before Jean could reply, the man covered her mouth with a cloth, tied her hands and made her sit on a horse. He sat behind her and begun riding towards the desert. Jean was terrified. She had no way of escaping and she knew it.

Two hours later, they arrived to a place, which looked like a camp. Jean saw that there were only men in that place, and that made her heart pound even faster. Her captor spoke, in what seemed Arabic.

_"I need to see Ardeth Bay"_

***

Ardeth Bay entered the main tent. There, he found 10 of his warriors, along with one of the youngest Medjais, Ahmad. He missed the presence of his second in command and brother, Tarek, who was away. As he entered, they all stood, touched their hearts with one open palm, and then waved it, in ritualistic fashion, toward the sky. 

_"Harum Bara shad!"_ they said to him. 

The commander of the Med-jai made the same ceremonial sign, and said back, _"Harum Bara shad!"_

He sat, and after he did, they all sat as well. 

_"What matters do you wish to discuss with me, Ahmad?" _

_"The matters of a woman. A foreign woman. I found her inside Keethar al Pharos." _He lowered his voice. _"She knew how to enter to the Doomed's Chamber."_

_"How is it possible?"_ Ardeth asked. _"Is she here?"_

_"Yes, Master."_

_"Bring her to me."_

Ahmad nodded his head and left the room. Then he went back, bringing with him a tall, slim woman that wore a fierce look in her eyes. She stood tall and proud in front of them, in a defiant position against their questioning looks.

In the dim light, Jean couldn't see much about him. From his voice she could tell he was an Arab. He was an Arab man dressed in Arab robes with tattoos on the visible part of his face and hands. And from what she saw of him standing, she could see that he was tall, and well built, but all his body was covered in black clothes, as well as most of his face. All she could see were a pair of attractive eyes looking at her without hiding his interest. Ardeth went over to her, his eyes glittering as he looked into her eyes. The man exuded an aura of power and self-assuredness that unnerved her totally. Jean felt suddenly very aware of this tall, dark desert creature near her and tried to draw away. 

"Do not be afraid," he said softly. "I assure you, my intentions are honorable." She noticed that his accent was very Arab, though his English was flawless, his voice deep and intense.

"Sure," she said bitterly.

"I understand that you are afraid."

"Do you?"

"We are not bandits of the desert, though they do exist. We are warriors of the Medjai, an ancient tribe of guards to the pharaohs of long ago. You can trust us, for we are honorable, as I have told you before. You have yet to tell me your name." 

"How long do you plan on keeping me here?"

"I am not sure, now what is your name?"

"Jean Marquet."

"Well, Jean Marquet, you won't leave until you explain what were you doing inside Keethar al Pharos."

"You have no right to do this to me."

"There are no laws in the desert."

"But…I don't even know why or how I entered that chamber. This is confusing…"

"Then we will return you to Cairo."

"No! I have a mission here!"

"You are hiding something…I know it"

"Don't worry, it's not like I am gonna kill you or anything like that."

"I am used to people trying to kill me."

"What, you just ride around the desert, picking fights with total strangers?"

"No. We guard against the return of one creature. It is he that we fear. The Medjai have been guarding this place for over 3,000 years. We do not want him brought back to life."

"Well, that's quite a story."

"It runs deeper than you know."

At that moment, realization struck her. "Did you say Medjai?"

"Yes…"

"Then I need to talk to you…alone," said Jean and looked at the warriors that surrounded her.

_"Everybody leave!"_

_"But, My Lord, you don't know this woman, it wouldn't be wise to stay here alone_ _with her,"_ Ahmad protested.

_"I know, but I can take care of myself."_

_"As you wish,"_ said Ahmad humbly and left the tent.

"Now, what did you want to tell me?"

"I don't know where to start. Back home I've been having strange dreams about this place…and the word Med-Jai kept coming to my mind, as well as Hamunaptra, Imhotep…" She paused when she saw the look in the man's eyes. "So, I decided to come…I needed answers…for I know a war is coming, and somehow I will have to fight it"

Impressed, and a bit shaken, Ardeth asked her "How do you know this is not a product of your imagination?"

"Because of this", said Jean as she managed to pull up her t-shirt's sleeve, even though she was tied, and revealed the red mark in her arm. "It came out one night and I can't erase it. It bleeds every time I have a nightmare…and…"__

_"May Allah be blessed…_ " Whith tose words, Ardeth leapt out of his chair and went to her. He took his dagger from his back. She got a slightly frightened look as he leaned towards her.

"You have no need to be afraid of me."

When he examined her mark, Ardeth was at a loss for words. Though the symbols were very familiar, there was difference in the shape of several, giving them a slightly different meaning.

"And now, less than ever." Mumbled Ardeth as he looked at her with reverence.

"What is this? Why are you staring at me like that? Come on, just tell me what the hell is going on!"

"It is written that one day, a person would come to the Med-jai, a person that would help them destroy the forces of evil in a battle…in a battle for the sake of the world. You are that person."

"Who? Me? That…that can't be possible! You must be mistaken!"

"I am not. I beg your forgiveness for the way I've treated you, miss Marquet."

"Jean, please."

"Jean. I know this must be hard to understand…but you were right, you had a mission here. That's why you knew how to enter Keethar al Pharos' chambers. You said something about nightmares?"

"Yes…I haven't been able to sleep and I thought I was losing my mind." Her beautiful eyes clouded and Ardeth realized she looked very fragile and that teared his heart.

He made a personal vow to help her confront the demons that tormented her. He gave a wry smile as he realized he was the right person for that job. After all, fighting demons was what he had been born for.

"This is simply fantastic."

"Tell me about it. So what do I have to do?"

"Come with me, we must tell the tribe about this miracle."

They both left the tent and Ardeth called the entire camp. It took them a while to gather, and when they did he softly took Jean's arm and showed the mark to the puzzled men, they reacted immediately. Some of them began talking among themselves, others stared at her with their eyes wide opened and the rest simply stood in silence. Ardeth took a place several meters away from Jean. More than a few pairs of eyes regarded her as if she was an exhibit in a museum. She didn't know what to say so she just stared back, but there was no awkwardness, just open curiosity on both sides. 

"Jean is the one we have been waiting for and Allah would let the devil have you if you bring harm to her. Mystics, Ahmad, come with me. Vosloo," he called one of the warriors, " guard her." And with that, he went inside one of the tents.

Inside, one of the Mystics told Ardeth _"We also believe that she is the One Allah sent us." _

Ardeth nodded his head at this. Those things were not uncommon. 

_"Does she have any powers?" _

Ardeth shook his head. _"I don't know, all I can tell you is that she has visions about Imhotep and Hamunaptra."_

_"There is one certain thing," _pointed another mystic, _"that you must keep that woman out of the hands of the evil forces, whatever they might be, or Imhotep will end up destroying all of Egypt…and the world"_

The Med-jai chieftain took all this in slowly. A woman sent by Allah, the return of Imhotep, end of Egypt, possibly the world. The only reaction that he could think of was, _'Why does this happen to me?' _

He sighed softly. _"I want round the clock protection of the woman. No one enters or leaves her tent without my knowing. And I want her to be respected by everybody; I will not tolerate misdemeanor or rudeness towards her._ And one more thing," he said, this time in English. "She speaks English, so we will do the same from now on."

He turned to the mystics. "I thank you for your help. Ahmad, you send out a message to the rest of the tribes. You must all remember that if we have to, we will kill or die in order to protect Jean's life. We have no room to screw ups, men, we have to keep this woman protected, and we have to stop Imhotep from being awakened. Understand?"

The room slowly nodded its head.

***

Hope you enjoyed this chapter and thanx a lot for reading!


	2. Chapter two

CHAPTER TWO

When Ardeth went out, he found Jean standing with Vosloo by her side. The camp was very quiet and the men were looking at Jean in awe. Ardeth looked at his men in puzzlement and turned towards the source of their shock. He gave a quick intake of breath as his eyes fell on Jean. She had taken off her turban, revealing her red hair; it was long, almost to her waist and the sun shining on it made it glow like the reddest sunset. That, combined with the light colors she was wearing, almost made her look like a goddess of old. She was oblivious to the warriors staring at her as the wind blew through her thick, unruly hair. She was beautiful. Never had he seen a woman that looked like she had been sculpted by the hand of Allah himself. When she finally became aware of how quiet the camp had become, she looked up and saw many pairs of eyes staring at her. She frowned and looked all around herself, trying to figure out what they were staring at. Finding nothing, she finally saw Ardeth and gave him a questioning look.

Ardeth turned to his men and barked an order at them in Arabic and everybody quickly went on about their business. He then turned to her guard. "Thank you, Vosloo. Now, you and five men will set up a tent for Jean. Make sure to provide her all the possible comfort under these circumstances."

"Do you have any luggage to be taken to your tent?"

"No…the airline lost it…All I have are this backpack and this purse."

"Vosloo, find her some clothes and take her things with you."

The man nodded and left promptly. Ardeth went over to Jean. "The color of your hair is seldom seen in my country. Most of their lives these men have only seen dark hair." 

"And you?"

Ardeth looked at her hair thoughtfully. " I've seen it, as well as yellow, on some of the foreigners. But never have I seen the color of fire standing in the middle of my camp..." He reached out and touched a length of her hair, bringing it forward and letting it slip through his fingers. He liked the way it felt. Then, turning serious he told Jean "You will have to remain with us."

"I know…"

"Come, we need to talk." He led her inside his own tent, where he took off his turban, chaddor and main tunic, to reveal his features to Jean. He was tall, well over six feet and had the body of an athlete; He would have easily done justice to Michealangelo's David. His tan complexion and thick dark hair that fell in glossy waves to his powerful shoulders highlighted his chiseled features. His face looked like the sun had burst through a cloud as he smiled up at her, "Make yourself comfortable as I tell you a story."

Jean sat on the floor and stared at him. "Will you tell me your name?"

"Oh yes, I am sorry, I am Ardeth Bay"

"What shall I call you? Ardeth? Mr. Bay?"

"Just Ardeth." 

"Nice name, Ardeth…now, tell me…"

He smiled and sat in front of her "For years, we, the Medjai, have protected the heritage of this land that is as sacred to us as a mother. We are a respected tribe, as we are guardians of the wealth and heritage of ancient Egypt, loyal protectors of the house of Pharaoh. We are feared and considered a mystery so no one would dare challenge us to our faces. Most people shudder at the thought of them coming into contact with the mysterious desert people with their tattooed faces and fierce ways, which comes to be us."

She smiled, "I wasn't afraid…well, maybe a bit. But how is it that you all speak English then?"

"When the English first started coming to our country years ago, it was decided that the Medjai Chief would learn their language, so as not to be taken in by the white man. Later, all of the Medjai warriors learned the language, for we found it very useful to listen in on conversations. And then, as we were engulfed by these times of changes, some traditions had to be changed… we are all educated, among other things."

Jean smiled and studied his face for a moment, having never really seen him like that before. He had a high forehead with thick, dark eyebrows, dark brown eyes with long black lashes, a long, straight nose and high cheekbones. His moustache and beard were neatly trimmed, framing a large mouth with a full lower lip. His hair was long and black, with the curly ends coming down to his shoulders, covering his ears. Her eyes traveled downward and she noticed his Adam's apple protruding from his long neck. She lifted her eyes back up to his and found him watching her in amusement. She looked down, blushing. 

"Do I pass inspection?" he asked with a smile.

Jean looked up at him, hoping he didn't notice her blush. "I was merely wondering, what those marks on your forehead and cheeks mean?"

"They are ancient symbols of honor, reserved for the descendants of the royal guards to the pharaoh. When a boy passes to manhood and becomes a warrior respected by all, he makes the sacred oath of service and receives these marks. I wear these marks of courage, honor and duty, like my grandfather and my father did. These ancient symbols are placed in my hands and cheeks for all men to see them. Only a direct descendent of the Med-jai to Pharaoh Seti I can wear the tattoo's and serve as a Med-jai warrior."

"So then you're a descendant?" Jean asked fascinated by what Ardeth was telling her.

"Yes. I am a direct descendant of Mehemjet, the Med-jai warrior who led the Med-jai during the time of Imhotep." Ardeth answered proudly.

"Wow, so are you leader because you're a descendant of Mehemjet or because you were the best qualified?" She asked.

"Both." Ardeth sounded arrogant, but it was the truth.

Jean took his right hand and studied the tattoo, as she did so, the warrior felt a jolt of electricity at her touch. Oblivious to that, another question popped into her head.

"Did it hurt when they tattooed your face?"

He smiled, "Yes, it hurt, but not as much on my face as on my body."

She blushed. "I see. But you don't seem to have you lived in the desert your whole life"

"No, I was born in Cairo and lived there with my mother until I was fifteen. Then I came to live with my father in the desert, as a Medjai. But I left for some years, in order to get some education and now I travel most of the time between the Sahara, Cairo and other parts of the world, like your country."

"How do you know where I come from?"

"You are American from head to toe." She laughed. "Anyway, we have many businesses, we don't only live from protecting ancient burial sites. And speaking of such, tomorrow we will start our journey towards one of them: Hamunaptra."

" Where Imhotep is buried, right?" She smiled at his puzzled face. " Well, at least my dreams told me something."

A voice from outside asked to enter, and Ardeth authorized him. Jean recognized her captor.

"Jean," Ardeth said, "This is Ahmad Manheemi. Ahmad, this is Jean…although I believe you've already met."

The young man looked at her, terrified, and blurted "I am sorry, miss, I never…If I had known…"

"It's alright, Ahmad, you did what you have to do. Don't worry…oh, and call me Jean, please." 

He looked at her gratefully as they shook each other's hands. 

"I must leave now," Ardeth said, "You stay with her and distract her while I gone."

"Yes, Sir."

"I will be back soon, Jean"

"There's no rush, I am not going anywhere."

Ardeth left the tent smiling. Lord he had a nice smile, and the young warrior watched her with a thin smirk on his lips.

"Ahmad?"

"Yes?"

'God, he must not be any older than 18.' She thought. "How old are you?"

"I am 17 years old."

"You are very young."

"The youngest of the tribe. I've joined Ardeth's forces last year, after finishing my basic education."

"And Ardeth Bay, is he your leader?"

"Yes Jean, he is."

"Leader of…?"

"Leader of all the Med-jai."

"All…?" she gasped out. 

'Yes, he is the leader of the 12 tribes of the Med-jai. You are not in any warrior's tent, you are in the Chieftain's tent."

Jean stared at him in shock. "Chieftain of the 12 tribes? How many people does that mean?"

"About a thousand warriors and all their families."

"That's quite a lot of people."

"Indeed."

They spent the time talking, and the man told her about the costumes and about life in the desert. Ardeth entered the tent and found them talking and looked at his youngest Medjai. He noticed the way in which he was looking at Jean, almost with adoration. He could tell that Ahmad had been instantly smitten by Jean's beauty and kindness.

"Ahmad, I need to have a word with you, outside."

They left the tent and outside Ahmad and Ardeth looked at each other.

"Master…I…" Ahmad began.

"You like this woman, this American woman. Don't you?"

"Yes. But in a way that is not about…"

"I know that. When we took the oath, we swore to protect the innocent. That is what I am doing. She is a concern to me. And I would like you to be with her every minute, whatever she needs, you will give it to her. Do you accept?"

His face lit up "Of course I do, sir."

Ardeth was about to enter the tent, and as he passed Ahmad, he put a hand on his shoulder.

"See? Life in the desert is not so boring."

The young man smiled and nodded.

***

Isn't Ahmad the sweetest little thing????????

Anyway, thank you for your feedback on the first chapter and I hope you enjoy this one.


	3. Chapter three

CHAPTER THREE

"Jean," Ardeth entered. "Come with me, I will show you your tent where you will be able to rest"

She followed him as he led her inside and was marveled at what she saw: the tent looked like something out of the Arabian Nights stories she used to read as a girl, dreaming of far away places. Beautiful rugs covered the ground, large pillows everywhere. The linen walls had been covered by rich fabrics in different colors. The bed was situated near the back of the tent. Not exactly a bed like in America but more of a wooden platform with a mattress on top of it. It was covered with a luscious purple blanket, its edges made of white fur. There was a mirror, an oil lamp and two trunks. The smallest one was opened, revealing different jewels, and the second one was filled with clothes, real Egyptian clothes.

"I am sorry this is so rudimentary, but…"

"Rudimentary??" se cut him in "This is… Wow… How did you do all this?"

"So you like it…I am pleased. My men did most of the job."

"Where did they get all these clothes and jewels?"

"We have the jewels for most of them are good luck charms. Also, sometimes, when we help a merchant who is in trouble, he pays tribute to us by giving us some jewels or fine clothes, which we usually give away."

"I shouldn't accept… at least let me pay you… '

"Don't even think about it. In my culture, it is the man the one who has to provide everything for his woman."

"Geez, but I am not your woman."

"No, you are not, but you are under my care."

"Okay… and thank you, Ardeth."

"It is nothing. However, I was expecting a bigger argument. Western women tend to proclaim their financial independence and refuse to accept that the man has to provide them, right?"

"Yes… but I am kind of old fashioned."

"Good, I like that. Oh, there's another thing… "

"What?"

"These clothes… You see, my men won't try anything. They are honorable, and after what they saw today, they will consider your body as a sanctuary. However, I will ask you not to wear any of them as we travel… who knows who we might run into, and it would be better if you looked… well, like one of us."

Jean laughed, "I understand, Ardeth, and I appreciate your concern over my welfare. I will wear the whatever you consider the best."

"Good. I will bring you some black tunics. I would give you a Med-jai robe, but only a Med-jai can wear them…"

"It's ok."

Without another word, Ardeth opened the tent flap and called for Ahmad, who entered and bowed at Jean.

"My Chieftain has asked me to serve you. If I please you, I would be most honored to do so."

Jean glanced at Ardeth and then looked back at Ahmad.

"Thank you very much, Ahmad. I appreciate your offer and I am willing to accept it, although I don't think I will need much." The young man left the tent, radiant of joy and Ardeth spoke to Jean.

"Now, try to get some rest. Ahmad will guard outside"

She lay on her bed and smiled as she fell asleep.

***

Ardeth was sitting by the edge of the Nile, immersed in his own thoughts. As the years passed, the Med-jai had evolved. They were now a very different people much to the protests of their elders and had learnt to integrate within the globalized economy and the urban life along with their parallel lives as the Bedouins that they were. Other than their tattooed bodies, the Med-jai passed for normal men from the city when they had to travel in order to establish commercial relations. The trade community in Egypt trusted them and their expertise in the desert and its products. And thanks to that, the Medjai were had progressed into the 21st century with large bank accounts. But still old menaces came from the past and threatened them…

"Penny for your thoughts Ardeth?"

He smiled up at his brother beside him, he chuckled, "By the generosity of our Lord, we are blessed to have the family back in the camp!" 

"We've just got back from Cairo… and we heard about a red haired woman in our camp… and I've been told your orders were: only English and well…"

"Yes, and don't come here playing innocent on me, I bet you already know the whole story."

"I do, I do."

"And, by Allah, how did you know about her hair color?"

"You are kidding me? The whole tribe is talking about it. And maybe you were thinking about her…"

"I was thinking about our new investment in leather manufacturers, Tarek" Ardeth smiled at him. "It should prove fruitful."

"Careful, my brother" Tarek looked concerned, "If you have a beautiful woman in the camp and all you can think about is that, there must be something wrong with you!"

The handsome Egyptian warrior laughed and then let out a sigh. "Ah Tarek, come now! Why must you ruin my fun? I am the leader of our tribe, a Med-jai; can you really think I could ever forget that?"

"You should."

"I suppose you are right, we are all allowed to be a little human."

"It is about time you start a family, Ardeth…"

"You start one, I am too busy."

"For Allah, you are impossible."

Ardeth pushed his brother in a friendly way.

"I shall go see how Jean is doing."

Tarek smiled and waved at him. "Send her my greetings."

"Go to hell", laughed the older brother and left.


	4. Chapter four

CHAPTER FOUR

As he entered the tent, Ahmad shot him a questioning look. "I am just going to check on her," Ardeth said. 'Allah,' he thought, 'he guards her fiercely…even from me.' He found her awaken and going through her trunk, looking for some clothes, so pleased that it brought a smile to his lips.

"Did you sleep well?"

"God, Ardeth, you startled me!" Said Jean. "Yes, I did…but I have a problem…see, I love these clothes, but I don't know how am I supposed to wear some of them…"

"Let me show you…" Said Ardeth, amused, as he approached the trunk and begun taking out some clothes.

Time flew by, and they were both surprised to hear Ahmad calling them for dinner.

"I will wait outside while you change clothes."

When Jean left the tent, Ardeth held his breath, and so did Ahmad. They just stared at her. She was like a vision, entirely dressed in purple, wearing a long sleeved shirt made of some sheer fabric and a pair of loose babouches made of silk. She had put on some of the golden jewels and had discretely covered her hair with a veil.

"You look very… lovely tonight, Jean. You could pass for a real Egyptian."

"Thank you, Ardeth. Ahmad, are you alright?"

"Yes, yes, I will see you at dinner," said the young man and left, almost running.

"Forgive his rudeness, he was just stunned by you."

"Oh…"

"I don't remember teaching you how to wear a veil." 

"You didn't, no one did. I just put it on like I saw in the movies…"

"You learn fast, then, for it is perfect."

"Thanks."

"Now you will meet my grandfather, my uncle and my brother."

"I'll be most happy to."

"But perhaps you'd like to have dinner by yourself… my men tend to turn into an unpleasant sight as they eat."

"Good Lord, Ardeth, I'm not Cleopatra or anything like that, so please don't treat me as if I was."

"I will keep it in mind." He offered her his arm, and she gracefully took it.

"You better…"

He laughed as they approached a middle-age man, who was staring at them. Jean sensed his reprobation.

"Uncle Kasim, this is Jean Marquet. Jean, this is my uncle Kasim."

She shook his hand, "Pleased to meet you, sir."

"It is my pleasure, Miss Marquet"

"Am I late for the introduction ceremony?" A voice from behind Jean asked. When she turned, she faced a man about her age that looked like a younger replica of Ardeth. He was smiling affably and took Jean's hand into his, "You must be Jean, I am Tarek Bay, Ardeth's younger brother and pain in the a…"

"Tarek!" Interrupted Ardeth.

"Nice to meet you, Tarek," said Jean, who had already started to like him.

"I am starving, let's go get something to eat. I'll escort you, Jean"

"I will escort her, Tarek."

"Sure, Ardeth, that's fine…"

He took Jean away from the two men and lead her where several long tables were set up in a square and the food was prepared and cooked on a large fire in the center. The Med-Jai ate together and the evening meal was an opportunity for them to talk over the day's events. There, an old man was sitting; she figured that had to be Ardeth's grandfather. Despite his age, he was surrounded by a dignifying halo, which made him look like the strongest warrior, and the wise look in his eyes was a proof of many years living and learning.

"Jean, this is my grandfather, Ahmed. Grandfather, she is Jean Marquet."

"It is an honor, sir," said Jean and bowed.

"You honor these tired eyes, my child. So, you are the one Allah sent us?"

"I have been told so."

"Then we must praise his infinite wisdom. Sit here, my child, you belong at Ardeth's right." He got up and left her his seat. "After all, future relies upon you."

"Thank you, sir."

All men took their seats, with Ardeth sitting at the head of the table. They proceeded to thank Allah for the food he had put at their table, and Jean respectfully bowed her head, even though he wasn't her God. Then they ate a simple meal: dried and salted meat with nuts and then some dried fruits. They only drank water, which had been brought from the Nile by the warriors and then boiled for a long time. Ardeth couldn't help notice that his men were behaving perfectly, as if they were at some ball at Cairo. Ardeth also realized that he was being was careful with everything from his manners to his speech. 'This woman has more magic than I could have ever imagined…' He thought.

Jean was following the conversation with interest, until Ardeth leaned to her and whispered, "They don't usually speak English, but I told them to, as a sign of respect for you." She smiled warmly at him.

Tarek asked, "So, Jean, where do you live?"

"I live in New York City."

"All by yourself?"

"No, yes. I mean Nicole, a friend of mine, lives next door."

"And what about your family?" Asked Kasim. 

"They live in Washington DC and I miss them terribly. The only reason I'm living alone is because I attend to Columbia University."

"Really?" Tarek was stunned; she had to be extremely intelligent to have been admitted there.

"Yup. I'm majoring in Biology. I want to study viruses like the Ebola one and try to find a cure for them."

" Women should marry young and their only worry should be looking after their homes and children." Jean's eyes widened at Kasim's comment, as she tried to come up with a respectful answer, not exactly the one she had in mind. Fortunately, Ahmed made it unnecessary.

"I am pleased to know you devote your time to such a remarkable career, young woman."

"Thank you very much, sir."

"I take it you have no children, then." Kasim was definitely annoying her.

"No, I don't"

"You are in a very fertile time of your life and should take advantage of that." Tarek, who was about to burst into laughter at his uncle's idea of a conversation, softly kicked Jean's leg from underneath the table and winked at her.

"I'm sure she'll keep that in mind, uncle. Now tell me, Jean, are you happy in your country?"

"Yes. I love my life back in the States." Ardeth had been silent during the dialogue, as it gave him the opportunity to observe Jean more closely and see how she interrelated to his family. So far, she was doing wonderfully, even though his uncle was acting like a complete retrograde and made him feel like ordering him to shut his mouth before he did it for him.

"Well, my men," said Ardeth standing up and ending the interrogatory Jean had been through, "We have eaten well, now we must rest for tomorrow will be a long day. I wish you good night grandfather, uncle, Tarek. Jean, I will escort you to your tent."

"Good night," wished Jean.

She entered her tent, followed by Ardeth.

"You have eaten too little, Jean."

"I wasn't hungry… I guess the weather is affecting me."

"It surely is, as well as the fact that the interrogatory my family put you through didn't leave you enough time to eat. I hope they didn't bother you."

"Not at all."

"Are you sure? My uncle might have offended you… " Jean grinned.

"It was kinda weird hearing someone talk to me about my fertility, but I can deal with it."

"Good. Now, try to get some sleep. You seem tired."

"I am, good night, Ardeth."

"I will be outside for a while; call me if you need anything"

And with that, he was gone. Jean changed and fell asleep in the comfortable bed, but sometime later she became restless in her sleep and awakened with a scream. Ardeth ran to her tent and found her crying in the bed. Her arm was bleeding profusely. He sat next to her and placed her hand on her shoulders.

"You alright?"

"Yes… but the dream I just had... "

"It was just a nightmare. You are safe." He teared his tunic and wrapped Jean's arm.

"No, it wasn't just a nightmare it was more than that."

"Explain."

"I saw Imhotep. I mean, I don't know what he looks like, but I knew it was him. He was back and he wasn't very happy. Especially with you."

"That is to be expected. After all, my antecessors were the ones who mummified him alive."

"Holy… Anyway, I saw you and Imhotep fighting and you..." Jean looked away. "Perhaps I misunderstood. I must have."

He cupped her chin and turned her to face him.

"As you can see I am well and Imhotep is still buried at Hamunaptra."

"Yes, but it was so real. It means something, I can feel it." 

"Perhaps. Go to sleep now, you need to rest."

His hand dropped from her face and he started rising from the bed. She reached for his hand and touched him. 

"Stay with me." 

"I do not think that would be wise..."

"Please..."

He knew it was hard for her to ask. She was proud. Yet she was shaken by her dream, even though she was trying to hide it.

"Alright."

"Thank you."

"You didn't have to say that." Ardeth sat in bed next to her.

She ignored him, "Won't you get cold?"

"I'm used to it."

"You shouldn't have to freeze, get under the covers. If you are afraid of me we can put a pillow between us." Her eyes danced with laughter.

Getting up and pulling the covers down he climbed into the bed, then turned on his side to face her with his head propped on his hand so he could look down on her.

"I believe you know better than that."

"Oh yes, you fear nothing but Allah."

"Not true," he said smiling. Then with seriousness, "I am Med-jai because we fear the curse of the Hom Dai also. I will explain what that is tomorrow. Quiet now. Go to sleep, I will be here."

"You must think I'm crazy."

"I have seen far stranger things, Jean. Believe me on that. Give me your hand, and go to sleep."

"Are you going to sleep?"

"Lightly, yes. Now close your eyes, and don't think, just sleep."

Ardeth took her hand in his, and turned the lamp off. He sat up against the back with a pillow behind his back and head. He sat watch until he saw that Jean was indeed asleep. He closed his eyes, but not his other senses, and drifted of into the land between conscious and unconscious. There he rested, ready to jump at any unfamiliar sound, movement, or even smell.

***

Well, hope you liked this chapter. I just want you to know that I won't be able to update for about 10 or 15 days 'cause I have to send my notebook to be repaired (oh, my poor baby!!). However, I will keep writing and, hopefully, it won't take longer than that, so I guess it'll be until then. 

Kisses, Jeanne.


	5. Chapter five

AN: Hi everybody!!!!!! I'm so sorry it has taken me sooo long to update. *Jeanne sinks to her knees and begs for forgiveness*. But it wasn't really my fault, apparently, the 420 dollars I paid to have my laptop fixed weren't enough and I had to send it back to the service. I don't know why, but I get the feeling those guys are trying to trick me into paying more than I should… Anyway, here's chapter five, enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CHAPTER FIVE

The sun hadn't come up over the horizon yet when Ardeth awoke. He got up, letting go of Jean's hand, which he had held all through the night. He went outside and looked over the camp. There was a different warrior on guard and the rest just starting to awaken. 

He heard a voice behind him. It was his uncle Kasim.

"Ardeth, I need to speak with you."

"Good morning to you too uncle."

"Looks like someone got up in a good mood. It doesn't surprise me." Ardeth didn't appreciate the tone in which he had voiced the last comment, but he decided to let it pass.

"What was it that you wanted to talk to me?"

"May I speak frankly?"

"Always."

"Do you intend to keep being alone with her in her own tent?"

"Yes, and I know what your concern is."

"Then why are you doing it?" 

He raised an eyebrow. "Do I owe you an explanation?"

"No, you do not, but you will have to tell the Counsel of this."

"I have to tell the Counsel that I am guarding a woman while she sleeps in order to help her control her nightmares?"

"Is that all there is to it?"

"Absolutely."

"It can be misunderstood, and are you willing to accept what the consequences there may be by keeping her alone with you?"

"Yes."

"Does SHE understand she may be forced to marry you?"

"She doesn't even know about it. In other countries they don't have this custom. Not even ours does. This rather unintelligent norm belongs only to the Medjai."

"Then you should tell her."

"Fine, I will."

"I hope it is not too late."

"Uncle, There will be no consequences. I haven't touched her, and she can confirm it."

"Why must you be so stubborn?"

Ardeth raised an eyebrow as if to say 'I am, so what?'

"She is a beautiful woman."

"She is, yes, but I am just protecting her." 

"You better, because I would not like to have you marrying a foreigner."

"What would be the problem with that?"

"A Medjai should marry a woman who comes from a Medjai family." Ardeth was getting angrier at every word of his uncle.

"Where is that written?"

"Nowhere. But our blood must remain pure."

"Careful, uncle. Hitler said the same thing and he ended up killing six million people."

"I am only saying you should marry someone that belongs to this world."

"We are free to chose our partners."

"Yes, but I would not like this American as yours."

"Hasn't it occurred to you that maybe I would?"

Ardeth glared at his uncle who chuckled and walked away leaving his words echoing in the air.

***

When Jean woke up, looked around her 'room' and saw that Ardeth was gone. She had slept very well with him next to her, holding her hand. She yawned and tossed the covers off of her. She stood and grabbed the clothes he had left her, her black clothes for the journey towards Hamunaptra they were about to begin. After dressing and covering her hair with a turban, she left her tent and went to greet the two brothers.

"Hello, Tarek. Good morning, Ardeth… and thank you for last night's…"

"Good morning Jean, and don't mention it." He almost laughed when he saw the look in Tarek's eyes.

He said something to Ardeth in Arabic. From the way he nearly choked and blushed, Jean guessed what it was about. 

"Are you ready, Jean?" Asked the younger brother.

"Yes…"

Ardeth faced her, "You will be riding with me, it is safer."

"Ok, how long will it take?"

"About eight hours, but we will make a stop in an oasis on the way."

"That's great… I've never seen one."

"You will enjoy it very much," promised Ardeth. He turned his attention to his select band of warriors, gave them instructions, and they hastily carried out his orders, preparing for the long journey ahead of them.

Two hours later, they began the journey. Ardeth was riding from behind Jean, in order to watch her back.

"I am glad to see you are wearing the clothes I have given you."

"I like them…"

"When we were younger, my brother hated to wear black."

"You seem to be very close with him," Jean said.

"I am. I love the bastard." They both laughed.

"Do you have any other siblings?"

"I had a brother… younger than me and older than Tarek, he was killed 3 years ago."

"I'm sorry…"

"It is alright. The man who killed him is now long dead, himself."

"I don't have any brothers, but I would kill whoever hurt my friends."

"Would they kill whoever hurt you?"

"In a heartbeat."

Ardeth smiled, "Are you married?"

"Me? Hell, no! I'm just engaged. I mean, I know I'm awfully young, despite your uncle's point of view, but Brian insisted in making long-term plans and well... What about you?"

"No… not even that. How old are you?" he asked, catching her off guard a bit.

"22. You?"

"I have lived for 27 summers." 

Silence fell between them and Jean used it to relax for a while, she was a bit dizzy and the sun was extremely hot.

"Just lean on me if you want to sleep," offered Ardeth.

She did so, and fell asleep immediately. Ardeth held her close as he allowed his horse to pick his way through the desert. She was like no other woman he had ever met. Few women could endure what she'd been through the last day. She had been brave when she first faced the Med-jai. Ardeth smiled as he also now knew she had a temper. 

Some hours later they arrived the Seinada oasis; it was a small, lush oasis, with a few palm trees and green grass surrounding the clear pool of water. Man and time had built the pool so that the spring bubbled up at one end and flowed eastward, eventually dissipating in the hot sand. The splash of green amid the endless brightness of the sand was a welcome sight. The weary travelers could practically smell the water as it bubbled happily along. 

Ardeth decided to stop there for a brief meal and to water the horses. They cantered up to the well and the warriors dismounted. Ardeth tried to dismount also, in an intent to help the men, but he felt Jean immobile leaning on him. He looked at her and found her face flushed and her eyes half closed. He cursed himself for his stupidity. He knew she wasn't used to the desert heat and had pushed her beyond her endurance. He quickly laid her in the horse, dismounted and spoke to her very softly. "Swing your leg over and fall into my arms."

Jean didn't answer him. She was hot, tired, and thirsty, and couldn't seem to concentrate very well. She just wanted to close her eyes and sleep.

"Jean," said Ardeth sharply.

"What?" She mumbled.

"Let me carry you over to the shade where you can rest."

"I can walk myself," she replied, her defiance coming through her delirium.

Ardeth was patient as he answered her. "You have lost your shoes. The sand would burn your bare feet. Swing your legs towards me." Jean didn't argue anymore and brought her legs to one side. "Now, put your arms around my neck." She did that, as she slowly fell off the horse and into his arms. She rested her head on his broad shoulder as he carried her over to a spot of shade, provided by a palm tree. He set her feet down on the sand and held her upright. "Hold on to my shoulders and stand for just a few minutes longer," he said softly.

Jean had no idea what he was doing, and didn't care for the moment; she merely closed her eyes, thankful to be out of the glaring sun. A ripping sound made her eyelids fly open as she felt a yanking on her robe. She looked down and saw that Ardeth had drawn his dagger and was ripping her robe horizontally at the knees, and all the way around her. 

"Wha-what are you doing?" She asked in confusion.

"I am reinforcing your turban to keep the sun off your head better," he replied as he finished cutting her robe. He then made her sit down and he wound the fabric around her head, fastening it back into itself. When he finished, he looked at his handiwork and grunted, then walked back to his horse to get his canteen. He brought it back to where she was, squatted down next to her, and opened it. "I want you to drink this slowly."

Jean looked at it, then back to Ardeth. "I want fresh water."

"If you drank the cold water, you would experience terrible pains inside and possibly, the water would come right back up. I want you to sip this warm water like you would sip your tea. Very small amounts." 

Jean took the canteen from him and lifted it to her lips, sipping a very small amount of water. He stood up and smiled down at her. "Good. I will bring you a small amount of food in a short while, after you have cooled off some more." He walked over to help his men water their huge pack of horses. 

After a few moments, Jean felt a little bit better, and she took the opportunity to observe Ardeth. He had a very commanding presence and he moved with all the gracefulness of a jungle cat, his long legs covering the ground in smooth strides.

Ardeth busied himself with watering his horse and seeing to his men, but he kept thinking about Jean. She was so different than any other woman he had ever encountered before, in personality and looks. She hadn't complained about the heat, or the uncomfortable ride across the desert. She took it all bravely, much more so than any other woman would have done. And her looks… He looked over at her now, observing that her face had lost some of the redness from earlier. She was looking down at the sand, lost in thought. He walked over to his horse and took some food out of his saddlebag, then walked to her.

Jean looked up as Ardeth walked up to her and sat down in front of her. He had something in his hands, and, as she watched him unwrap it, she noticed it was food. Suddenly, she felt hungry, as she realized she hadn't eaten anything since the night before. He held it out to her and noticed some dried fruit, dried meat and a chunk of bread. "I want you to try and eat some of this," he said gently.

She took a piece of the dried fruit and bit into it. It was dry but good, and she washed it down with a sip of water. She reached for a small piece of meat and chewed on it while she watched him eat. She found him watching her too, but in amusement. She looked down, blushing, as she concentrated on finishing her light meal. 

"I ought to wring your neck for not telling me the sun was getting to be too much." He scolded lightly.

"I didn't want to slow us down." She finally answered.

"I cannot believe you would rather let the sun kill you than…"

"Ardeth?" She cut him in.

"What is it?"

"You were right…this place is very beautiful…an enjoyable."

"I am glad you like it, sadly we will soon continue our journey."

"I know, we have no time to waste."


	6. Chapter six

CHAPTER SIX

During the rest of the journey nothing out of the ordinary happened and they arrived at Hamunaptra, which had been the city of the dead, or what was left of it, with the last lights of the day. The two of them dismounted there, while the rest of the men left to set the camp further away from the city. Ardeth walked over to check around it, leaving her alone for the moment. With those intense dusk lights, Hamunaptra looked exquisite. Its columns rose from the sand majestically, carved with delicate flowers that were typical of the ancient Egyptians. It was a sad remainder of the glory of Egypt. She looked out in every direction of the desert and then headed to one of the crumbled walls, and, by impulse, touched it. Ardeth had followed her and saw the look in her eyes as she touched the wall. Then, Jean wavered a bit, and started to fall. Ardeth caught her in his arms. 

"Jean?"

She could hear him say her name, but the dizziness hung over her for a few moments. When she finally shook it off, she opened her eyes and was staring directly into Ardeth's soft, caring eyes.

"Jean? Can you hear me?" 

"I'm fine…it is a vision..."

"I shouldn't have let you touch that wall," he whispered softly. He bent over a bit and swung an arm under her knees, carrying her in a fireman's hold and lay her in the sand. Her dreams were jumbled and troubled. She saw something come after her; it was not clear what it was. But reminded her of a spirit. 

She tried to run from it. Her mind told her to run from it. But she couldn't move. There was a bright light…a bright blue light… it burned her eyes. The spirit was coming after her. RUN! Her mind screamed. RUN! But still, her legs wouldn't move. 

There was an intense noise. It hurt her ears. But when she tried to cover them, there was another intense noise, this one louder then the first one. And she felt a great pain. She closed her eyes, tears seeping from the sides. She saw the blood dripping from her arm. The light got brighter, and the noise got louder. It got to the point where she couldn't take it any more. And then it stopped. Everything stopped. There was an eerie silence. 

Jean woke up screaming. She screamed and screamed. And screamed until she could not scream anymore. Tears fell from her closed eyes, and she was holding her right arm to her chest. 

"Jean…" he reached out to gently stroke her hair. She was staring at her arm. 

"This time it hurt more…more than ever. The day is coming and I am in great danger."

He stared at her. "Jean," Ardeth said finally, "I am promising you right now that I will watch over you. I am not going to let these men or Imhotep get you, or kill you. I promise you, as long as you are with the Med-jai, or with me, that you will be safe from whatever can be wanting to harm you." He looked into her eyes. "I promise you."

She couldn't say a word, so she just looked at him, her eyes filled with gratitude. He helped her up and then they went to the camp. He took her to her tent that had just been set up, exactly as it was in the previous camp, and she lay in bed, exhausted. He left her alone for a minute and glanced around the camp one last time to make sure everything was in order, then he entered the tent, got down on the bed next to Jean, pulled the blanket up and over both of them and laid down. Jean's heart pounded as she felt him lie next to her, but the warrior was still. She had just started to relax her tense muscles, when she felt him roll over. Suddenly, one of his strong arms came around her waist. 

Ardeth felt her tense as his arm went around her, and he knew exactly what she was thinking.

"I told you, you have nothing to fear from the Medjai, including myself. I will not take a woman who is not given to me willingly. But this is the only way I have to protect you. You told me yourself that you are in danger. So I keep you close to me."

His voice was soft in her ear and she could feel his chest rumble against her back as he spoke. She believed him. He was sincere and she was exhausted from the long day of events and felt secure in his arms.

"I am not afraid of you, Ardeth. Good night."

"Good night." 

Long after she was asleep, Ardeth watched her. After living in the desert for so long he had learnt to control himself and for living under a religion in which chastity was to be respected and treasured, he would not take a woman he wasn't married to, unless she threw herself at him or earned a living by selling her body, which was hardly Jean's case. He reached forward and gently stroked her hair. It was soft and silky under his fingertips. He liked the feel of it. He couldn't help himself, and leaned over and kissed her forehead gently. She stirred, but did not wake, and rubbed herself against his body. 

"You try my strength and integrity, Little One," he whispered.

Then, he smiled to himself. The American woman was beautiful. Sighing softly, he fell into his shallow sleep.

***

The next morning, when he saw his brother leave Jean's tent, Tarek took the opportunity to grab his arm. "Can I have a talk with you Ardeth?"

"Of course…"

"What's going on with you?"

"What exactly do you mean?"

"I mean are you and Jean…?"

"No! I just stay with her because she has nightmares…and I want to protect her."

"You have fallen for her!"

"Ok, Tarek, you can believe whatever pleases you," he said softly. "But I am not going to let anything happen to her, that is for sure."

"Just remember, Ardeth, she is a beautiful woman, and you are just a man."

"I know, brother. I won't tell you I have no feelings for her at all, but she will not stay here. She has a life back in America. And besides…I can control my own feelings…"

"For the moment…"

"We shall see. I am leaving now"

"Where will you go?"

"I will just explore the surroundings. When Jean awakens, you and Ahmad shall take care of her. Do not, under any circumstance, allow her to touch anything from the city of the dead. I trust you, Tarek"

"I will be proven trustworthy. Go in peace, my brother."

***

He sat on his horse, Quicksand, on top of the sandy dune, a solitary figure; the wind playing with his black robes and hair as he contemplated the vastness that surrounded him. The Sahara stretched out before him in endless miles of dunes and valleys, shaped over time by the mighty winds that blew across the desert. The heat rose up to meet the pale blue sky in the quiet morning.

Ardeth Bay gazed upon the stretch of desert as he thought about the future. His people's future. If Jean was right, someone was going to awaken the creature. He frowned as he thought about that. They had guarded against the evil for so many centuries that they had had little else to think about. Now that the moment of the test was coming, what would they do? They looked to him for leadership, young as he was, for he had taken over when his father had died in an attack. But now their oath was about to be proven with the resurrection of Imhotep. Where they ready to fight? He found no answers as he looked out over the desert and, in frustration, he wheeled his horse around and rode towards the camp.

The warrior needed no landmarks to guide him back, for he knew the desert well. Half an hour later he arrived. He swung his long leg over the back of the horse and climbed down, handing the reigns to one of the men. 

"Give him a good rub down, I rode him hard today." The man bowed and walked into the corral with the horse. Ardeth surveyed the camp, noting everyone at their tasks and then entered his tent. He had only taken a few steps inside, when he heard a familiar voice come from the corner.

"It took you long this time to come back to us."

Ardeth whipped around and saw his grandfather; the sparkle in his eyes could be seen in the darkened tent.

"You delight in my torment, old one, for if I die at a young age, it will be from you giving me heart failure," said Ardeth as he removed his scimitars.

The old warrior chuckled at his grandson in amusement. "Is that any way to greet your kin?" He asked with a smile.

Ardeth sighed as he removed his turban from his head. "Good morning, grandfather."

"Such a heavy sigh from one so young. Are the responsibilities of our people too much for you?" 

Ardeth ran a hand through his hair as he sat down on a carpet, and proceeded to lean back against a large pillow. He couldn't disguise the frustration in his voice as he answered. "No grandfather."

"Then what?"

Ardeth put his hands behind his head and closed his eyes, trying to put his feelings into words that his grandfather could understand. "I fear we will not be able to defeat Imhotep if he is resurrected..." he frowned, unable to continue.

"Ardeth, the oath of the Medjai is an ancient responsibility for our people that weighs our tribe down. But you, as their leader, will be able to vanquish the monster."

Ardeth looked at his grandfather fondly. "I hope so," he said vehemently.

The old warrior looked at his flesh and blood with pride and affection, noting the stubborn tilt of the chin and the sparkle of defiance from his eyes. He was so much like his father, he mused. 

"Have you seen Jean today?"

"Yes, she went to the Nile to…I think you better go see it for yourself"

Ardeth left the tent and headed towards the river, where he found Jean washing a pile of clothes, with Tarek and Ahmad staring at her, their mouths wide opened.

"Jean Marquet, what the hell you think you are doing?" His friends jumped in surprise and didn't dare to look at him in his eyes. But Jean remained calm as she turned to face him.

"Well good morning, sunshine"

"I repeat: what do you think you are doing?"

"Geez, someone got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning…I am just doing some washing…"

"Are those your clothes?"

"Nope."

"Then I do not understand…"

"I just found out that many of your men didn't have enough clothes to wear because most of them were dirty, so I washed them…"

"You what?????????? Ahmad, Tarek, how come you didn't stop her?"

"We tried, Master," said the first one, humbly. "But she got away with it."

"She is as stubborn as you are," added the second.

"It's not their fault, Ardeth, I am simply too strong-willed."

"You are risking your health. I forbid you to go on with this."

Ahmad and Tarek felt she was about to explode, so they took a few steps away, leaving Ardeth facing a very displeased Jean Marquet.

"You are FORBIDING me to wash your men's clothes because I am risking my health? Well allow me to tell you something, mister I-think-I'm-too-fucking-good-to-be-true, I am doing this because it makes me feel useful and I'll be damned if I stop doing it just because you FORBID me to!"

"Jean, I…"

"And one more thing, you omnipotent desert man, I am not made of fucking porcelain, so stop treating me as if I was about to break! Got it, my Lord? So if you excuse me, I have to go get another load of clothes." Jean left Ardeth speechless.

"She is a spirited one", adventured Ahmad.

"Tell me about it." said Ardeth.


	7. Chapter seven

CHAPTER SEVEN

Jean spent a couple more hours washing the clothes. Ardeth and his men had let her be, or so she thought, and she was most thankful about that. When she was rinsing the last robes, two men grabbed her from behind and covered her mouth before she could scream.

"Now listen to me, dolly, don't you dare trying to stop Imhotep's return. For you and all these men shall suffer the consequences."

Ahmad saw what was happening and alerted Ardeth. He ran towards her in blind hatred. He reached them and heard one of the men say, "You are coming with us, Anck-su-namun needs a new body."

"I do not think so" The tall Med-jai grabbed one of the men and knocked him to the sand, as Jean battled the other one.

"Are you alright?" He let his guard down for a second.

"Look out, Ardeth!" Screamed Jean as she leapt towards the first man, who had risen and was pulling out a dagger. He whirled and tried to get out of his way, but the dagger cut his chest, ever so superficially, because before it penetrated deeper, Jean had punched the man, who ran away with his fellow. A group of Medjais quickly mounted on their horses and sped after them.

Ardeth was on the floor, and in a second, Jean was by his side, covering his bleeding wound with her hand. "Come on, try to stand up…good…let's go to your tent"

"I can walk without any aid."

"Hush. Come with me," she commanded.

Many men gathered around them, they tried to help, but Jean told them she could handle it, but she would need water. She didn't realize that at that exact moment she won the hearts of all the warriors who had witnessed the fierce expression of her love and anxiety. He took Ardeth into his tent and laid him on his bed.

"Let me see your wound."

Ardeth ripped his shirt and exposed his chest. The cut was long, but shallow and Jean sighed in relief.

"Does it bother you much?"

"Some. I've had worse," he said, putting up a brave front.

Ahmad entered with a cube of water. "Do you need anything else?"

"Now, thank you. Just stay outside."

"But I have medical experience, Jean…"

"So do I. Out." Her tone was sharp and the boy disappeared.

"Now we'll take care of it, let me see..." First she cleaned the wound with fresh, clean water until it stopped bleeding. The, she pulled out a small jar of antiseptic and dabbed the red, opened mark with the paste from the jar.

She worked carefully, but the man suddenly sucked in his breath through clenched teeth, groaning. "Easy, now, I know it stings but I'm almost done." He closed his eyes, and smiled bravely.

"You…you saved me…" He said after a few seconds.

"Aha, I did. Now I need some…I know!" She ripped her skirt and made him smile by saying, "Don't tell anyone, but I learnt this trick from a very annoying man who constantly pisses me off, but he is really very sweet and caring…" She finished covering the wound and smiled at him.

Ardeth turned serious. "Jean, I am very sorry about today…"

"Forget about it. I can be a real pain in you-know-where too sometimes. Now it is you the one who has to rest. Here, sip some water and relax."

"Your dream was right… you are in danger."

"Yes…I guess I am."

"So much for protecting you."

"Hey, don't be so hard on yourself. You and your men have protected me very well. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here," she reasoned.

"You…you can fight really well," he commented, a bit surprised.

"Yes, but I don't know where did that come from."

Ardeth smiled. "Would you like me to train you?"

"I would love it. But now you have to rest. Let me tell you a story that will help you sleep: Once upon a time there was a princess who lived in a very big castle…"

Smiling and hearing Jean's soft voice, Ardeth fell asleep. Quietly, she left the tent to find Tarek and Ahmad outside.

"How is he?" Asked the two men at the same time.

"Fine, the wound wasn't deep. He is sleeping now."

"Good. Who were those men, Jean?" Tarek sounded worried.

"I have no idea. But they told me that I must not try to stop Imhotep."

"What else did they tell you?"

"That I could be the guest body for…hmmmm…Anaksamun or something like that." The two men looked at her, alarmed. "Who was that?" 

"Imhotep's lover. Perhaps it would be better if Ardeth told you the whole story," suggested Tarek.

"Okay. But why do I get the feeling that you are avoiding answering that question?"

"Ardeth ordered us not to talk about Imhotep to you. He doesn't want you to worry and desires to be the first one to tell you about him. And now that I have told you this, he will probably kill me."

Jean laughed with him and Ahmad and then Tarek left to deliver the news to his grandfather. She turned to the young man.

"I am sorry about the way I treated you before, I guess I was quite shocked."

"It is alright, Jean, I understand. But there is something I would like to know…" his voice trailed off.

"What is it?" She asked, smiling encouragingly.

"Where did you acquire medical expertise?"

"In college. And I have also red every single book about it and I have taken care of several sick friends. But I had never cured a stab wound." She smiled again. "So, tell me, Ahmad, what do you do here for fun?"

"We do not have much time left for that," stated Ahmad after giving the issue some moments of thought.

"Geez, now I understand why they say this is a rough life. If Ardeth awakes, tell him I will be at the Nile's rim."

"What will you do?"

"Have some fun on my own."

Jean left the speechless boy to go to the river. There was a lonely palm tree that provided her some shade and there she sat, and without thinking about it twice, she started singing a ballad. When she finished it, she realized that the camp was very quiet; she turned to find that most of the men had stopped doing whatever they had to do and were listening to her.

"This is what I would call 'singing in front of a live audience'." She thought amused, and went on singing.

***

Ardeth had just awakened, and ignoring the headache that was tormenting him, he left the tent, looking for Jean. Amazed, he heard she was singing, and even more amazed, he noticed that his men were listening to her with intense and serene looks in their eyes. When they saw him, everybody went back to their duties and he decided he could use her soothing presence to calm himself. He waited until she finished a song to talk to her.

"Hello Jean."

"Hey." She said, rising her sight to look at him. "Do you need anything?"

"No, no. I enjoyed hearing you sing. Besides, Roxette is a band I like." Her eyes widened.

"You know Roxette?"

"Even us, fierce desert warriors, know something about music," he stated seriously, but with a spark of humor in his eyes.

"Cool."

"And about American slang as well."

"It's good to know that."

"You have a very beautiful voice," sentenced Ardeth.

"That's real nice from you, but I don't."

"Just ask my men. They were charmed by you, just like sailors were captivated by mermaids and their seductive voices."

Jean laughed as he sat by her side.

"Are you ok?" 

"Not really. I have an awful headache."

"Then you shouldn't be out here," she scolded.

"I will decide what is best for me."

"Whatever. Come here." She made him lie down, using her legs as a pillow and started rubbing his temples. Her touch seemed to possess magical healing powers and Ardeth allowed himself to enjoy it.

"Someone is coming." He announced a while later and grabbing Jean's hand, he went to his men. "Can you see who it is?" He asked to a warrior.

"Yes, sir. It is Omid, the White Tribe leader."

"Your sharp sight is a true blessing, Rasheed."

"Thank you, master. Shall we prepare a tent for him?"

"I do not think he will stay. Just put things in order around here. We must set the example." The warriors began working proficiently and Ardeth turned to Jean.

"The leader of another tribe is coming and we will have to be the first ones to welcome him."

"We?"

"Yes, he is most likely here for some reason related to you."

"Okay, but I need to change!" She said and ran to her tent.

"Women," whispered Ardeth.


	8. Chapter eight

CHAPTER EIGHT

When Jean went back to his side, he couldn't do less than commend her common sense, for she was wearing a black and gold silk tunic that didn't cling much to her forms, but was of good taste and one of the most suitable outfits to wear while meeting one of the toughest leaders. Of course, she had covered her hair with a golden veil that made her green eyes stand out beautifully. Ardeth took her hand and they both waited for the man.

He got to the camp promptly and dismounted in front of them. He appeared to be twenty years older than Ardeth and had an imposing presence. 

_"Harum Bara shad!"_ he said to the commander of the Med-jai and made the ceremonial sign.

"Welcome, Omid," greeted Ardeth in English, "this is Jean Marquet." The man didn't even bother to look at her.

_"That is why I am here. I would like to talk to you alone, although I doubt this infidel will understand what we say."_ Jean didn't understand the man's words and Ardeth gave her hand a firm squeeze.

"Speak in English, Omid. Whatever you have to say to me, you can say it in front of her. What is more, I want her to hear what you have to say."

"If that's your wish." He cleared his throat. "I am here to tell you that we have received the news about the alleged return of Imhotep and we believe this woman is a fraud."

Ardeth's eyes widened as Jean could barely keep her jaw from dropping.

"I doubt it, my man." He took her arm and showed the Med-jai symbol to the visitor.

"She could have done it herself."

"And why would she do such thing?"

"Maybe to steal Hamunaptra's treasure."

Jean could no longer contain the fury that had been building inside her and snapped at Omid.

"Look, Mister, first of all you are not superior to me, so give up the attitude. Second, do you think that I would go through all this and abuse of these men's trust just to steal a stupid bracelet or something like that? It's very sad; you must have been betrayed many times as to be so paranoid. And third…well, I think that with the first two reasons I've made my point!"

Omid's expression made Ardeth want to burst into laughter.

"Are you going to allow this infidel to talk to me like this?" He hissed.

"Omid, please, Jean is here to help us and I trust her. And I am the Chieftain."

"But, sir…" The man was beginning to act respectfully.

"Now, go to your tribe and tell them that we welcome Jean in ours. The one who questions her good intentions is questioning me; the one who disrespects her, is disrespecting me. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Master. I will leave now."

"May Allah be with you."

Omid mounted and rode off. They both stood side by side, watching the figure of the Medjai ride into the desert until it disappeared over the rolling sand dunes. Jean was wordless, Ardeth had acted so confidently and with such an authority that she was amazed.

"Thanks for standing up for me," she whispered.

"They are good men, but sometimes they forget who the Chieftain is and, even though I hate to, I have to remind them of my position. I have dealt several times with this kind of situation, but thanks to Allah none of them has challenged my claim to the leadership."

"What would happen if one of them does?"

"We would have to settle it in a fight to the death," he answered matter-of-factly.

Jean was horrified.

"What?" she said incredulously, fear and horror consuming her.

"What you heard, Jean. But it rarely happens."

"God…you could be killed…"

Ardeth cursed under his breath when he saw how frightened she had become.

"We can all be killed in one way or another. Do not worry about me."

"But I care about you."

Ardeth smiled and reached out a hand to touch her cheek, both of them unaware of Kasim's prying eyes.

"I will be fine."

"I hope. Did Omid mention something about a treasure?"

"Yes, it is believed that somewhere inside Hamunaptra lies the wealth of Egypt. But we do not know its location."

"Aren't you supposed to? I mean, your ancestors must have known where it was."

"Indeed, but Hamunaptra has been sinking in the sands since the times of the Egyptian Empire and the entrance to some chambers has been blocked. We believe the treasure one is among them. And unless you digged for about a thousand years, I doubt it you would be able to steal the gold, as Omid suggested."

Jean smiled. The sun was setting and they could see that the men had started setting the table and preparing the evening meal. Jean joined them in order to help and in a short while, they were eating. She wasn't very hungry and asked to be excused. Ardeth glanced at her leaving towards her tent with a worried look in his eyes.

"How are you feeling, my boy?" Asked Ahmed.

"It was just a shallow wound, and Jean took good care of it."

"Those men wanted her to be Anck-su-namun's host body," said Tarek.

"Allah help us…"

Looking at him, his grandfather smiled sadly.

"You are a lucky man, Ardeth, to have a woman like her stand by your side."

He nodded but the older man didn't miss the shimmer of rage in his eyes at the thought of compromising Jean because of a sour love affair three thousand years ago. Kasim had been very silent, but then blurted out a sentence that surprised everybody.

"You must marry her."

"Uncle, please, give me a break."

"I saw you two out there. You touched her." Kasim said, accusingly. Tarek almost fell off his bench.

"What happened exactly, Ardeth?" Asked Ahmed.

"I told her about our Code of Honor, and she got scared, fearing that someone could kill me."

" Did you tell her about…?"

" No. I didn't want to worry her any more than she already was, so I just comforted her, it was a very innocent gesture," explained Ardeth.

"But you can't show affection towards a woman in public!" Persisted his uncle.

"Says who?"

"The rules."

Ardeth was furious. "Screw the rules, uncle. And now, if you finished judging me, I will go check on Jean. And, by the way, I will spend the night with her. Tarek, grandfather."

With a nod, he got up from his bench and left the table. She walked his way to Jean's tent and entered, to find her sleeping. Ardeth got in bed next to her, fully dressed and without daring to touch her. He fell asleep almost immediately.

The temperature dropped sharply as the wind picked up and that woke him up. Ardeth had chosen to camp behind some dunes to shelter them from the wind, but he couldn't do anything about the cold, and that night was the coldest he had experienced in months. He felt Jean trembling and lifted his head up to look at her face. She was still asleep, but shivering and Ardeth noticed that the robe she was wearing was of very thin material, not suitable for the harshness of the desert nights. He pulled the blanket up around her shoulders and gently pulled her tightly against him, to absorb as much of his body heat as she could. She moved suddenly, and he was afraid he had awakened her. He felt her trying to move, so he loosened his hold on her to see what she wanted. He waited patiently while she rolled all the way over, so that now she was facing him, and she cuddled herself against his chest, but without pressing it, as if, even in her sleep, she remembered he had been wounded. Her hands unconsciously clutched the material of his black robes. Her face was against his neck, her head fitting into the hollow between his shoulder and jaw as she slept. He brought his arm back down around her, holding her tightly against him as he closed his eyes.


	9. Chapter nine

CHAPTER NINE

In the morning, Jean woke up very early and watched Ardeth, who was sleeping by her side, cuddling her. She didn't remember how they ended up like that, but she didn't really care about it. Jean smiled to herself. She had always believed that everyone looked more innocent when they slept. Watching Ardeth's light breathing and relaxed face, she knew it to be true. Slowly, she got up, dressed and left the tent, not wanting to disturb Ardeth's peaceful sleep, greeted Ahmad who was guarding outside and headed to the Nile's rim. There she sat, gazing at the scenery and lost in her own thoughts, until she heard a voice behind her. It was Kasim, who spoke in a deep voice. 

"Nice day, right Miss Marquet?"

"Yes, very nice, sir."

"Is my nephew still sleeping… in your tent?"

Jean blushed a bit before answering. "Yes, he was very tired after what happened yesterday. I believe he is not used to being wounded." 

"Let me get to the point here, Miss Marquet."  

'Here it comes,' she thought "And that would be…?" 

"The Med-jai Counsel will not like to know that you are sleeping with Ardeth." He said the phrase with a small smile on his lips.

"I saw you sleep in the same tent with your father, will that be a problem too?"

"Don't try to outsmart me, woman. You can't simply come here, seduce my nephew and claim to be our leader."

"First of all, Mister Bay, I haven't seduced anybody. I invite you to spend a night with us and you will see that the fact that a man and a woman are sharing a tent, even a bed, doesn't necessarily involve sex. And second, I haven't claimed anything. I don't know what your writings say and frankly, I don't care. But you will have to face it, leader or not, I will be staying with you for a while." Her voice was calm, her tone was controlled, but she fired the words with a coldness that surprised the man standing in front of her.

"If you go on sleeping with him, you will have to marry him."

"Well, worse things can happen to me…"

"You will only bring trouble to our tribe."

"I am sorry you feel that way, Mister Bay. For your nephew, the Chieftain, doesn't think the same way. However, I believe we are in a free country and if that's your point of view, I respect it."

"But you will be proven wrong, uncle."

Jean and Kasim turned and were stunned to see Ardeth. He had followed the entire conversation and was staring at his uncle, obviously discontented.

"Ardeth, this…woman…has obnubiled you judgment."

"We will discuss this issue later. Let's go, Jean."

"Yes, before the Counsel."

"I do not care if we discuss this in front of Allah Himself. Now, I said let's go Jean." He took her hand and walked with fast paces, Jean following him. When they had reached a prudential distance from the camp, Ardeth turned to her and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"He shouldn't have treated you like that…"

"Hey, it's ok. I understand the fact that he doesn't trust me. I bet this whole thing must be something really hard to swallow."

He didn't answer; he just looked into her green eyes for a moment and then sat in the sand. Jean did the same.

"Actually, I think it was rude from me to talk to him the way I did."

"No, it wasn't. If he wanted to be respected, he shouldn't have disrespected you in the first place." Ardeth placed a hand on his chest and let out a sigh.

"How's your wound?"

"Better, thanks to you."

"It was nothing, besides…Oh God…" Jean stood up with a terrified expression, pointing a black scorpion. Ardeth smiled, took out his scimitar and cut it in half.

"Would it be very out of place for the woman who is supposed to save the world to throw up right now?"

Ardeth couldn't help but laugh. "It was just a scorpion, Jean."

"Thank you for enlightening me, Med-jai chieftain. I thought it was a shrunken Volkswagen Beetle." She joined Ardeth's laughter.

"I didn't know you feared scorpions."

"Well I do. I despise them. Although I had never met one personally before."

"I've been in contact with them since I was a child."

"What were you like as a child?" She asked. 

"Why?" Ardeth said, a puzzled look on his face.

"I just wanted to know…"

"Well, I spent most of the day running around. Bugging my siblings as only an older brother could do. Sword fighting with the other kids. With Tarek. My father, who was the Chieftain as well, used to teach me how to ride a horse and fight at the same time when he was at Cairo. Those were nice days. What about you?"

"I loved to play with my Barbie dolls and wear nice clothes to go to dinner parties with my parents. I liked my world. I was a princess there and nothing could ever harm me… or so I thought." Jean smiled "When I look back, I think I had a happy childhood, with loving parents, many friends and lots of toys."

"It is funny how different our childhoods were."

"Yes, but now look at us, sitting at the Nile's shore and talking like we've known each other since then."

"Maybe we have…in another life."

"Who knows?"

"You were cold last night." Jean's cheeks reddened at the comment.

"Yes."

"That is understandable, for this is November and we are in winter."

"I can't imagine how you endure the summer."

"You get used to it in time."

"Like you had another option."

"Indeed. I like it when you blush."

"What?"

"Nowadays, women seem to have lost to capacity to do so and seeing you flushed is… refreshing."

"Look," Jean said, changing the subject. "I believe I am about to have my first fighting lesson."

Ardeth looked over and saw Ahmad and two other warriors walking towards them. 

"We are here at the time you requested, my Lord."

"Good. We are going to teach Jean different fighting techniques. This place is ideal."

She looked at him, shook her head and smiled. Ardeth held out a hand, and she took it. He pulled her up gently, and put his arm around her shoulder. Pulling her close to him. 

With his arm still around her shoulder, they walked to a valley between some dunes and the rest of the morning and afternoon was spent with the warriors teaching Jean different techniques. Ahmad showed her different ways to use daggers and smaller swords. The other two warriors, Hajeb and Sabi taught her different punches and kicks. And finally, Ardeth showed her some new moves with a sword. Tarek joined them and gave Jean tactical advice. At the end of it all, she was grateful they had taken the time to show her these things. But couldn't help but feel that they had gone a bit easy on her during that first day. It was around 4 o'clock when they went back to the camp. Tired, thirsty, and sore.

"God, I could certainly use a shower." Said Jean

"There is a place where you can bathe without being disturbed. I will take you there if you want to."

"I'd love to!"

"Then come with me."

Jean followed Ardeth to his horse. "Is it too far away?"

"No." He mounted and helped her up. "I will leave you alone there. If you need anything or want me to pick you up, fire this gun." He handed her a short shotgun.

"Ok…"

They arrived a quiet spot, where a branch of the Nile turned into a small waterfall before following its course. The trees were luscious, the air was sweet and it resembled more the Amazon rainforest than the Sahara desert. Ardeth Bay glanced around the desert, his dark eyes taking in everything around him. He and Jean had circled the place several times before determining that no one was there. Dismounting from his horse, he held the reins loosely in his left hand and rested his right hand on the hilt of his scimitar and approached the familiar site. His hawk-like eyes saw behind every bush, every tree, every boulder until he was completely satisfied that they were alone and, even then, he did not let his guard down. One could never be too careful in the Sahara, especially a man with his title and reputation accompanied by a beautiful American woman. 

He then put his hands on Jean's waist to help her down. When her feet were firmly on the sand, Ardeth didn't let go of her right away. She looked up into his eyes as he stared down at her, confused by what she saw. There was a look of wonder and almost of something related to love or desire; she couldn't put a name to it, blazing in his dark eyes. She looked away quickly, wondering if she was mistaken. He removed his hands as Jean gazed at the scenery. 

"This place is…breathtaking."

"I knew you would like it." Ardeth smiled at her. "Do not worry, you won't find any snakes in the water. It is too warm for them."

"I hadn't really thought about that, but thank you for telling me."

Suddenly, the horse escaped quickly towards the green, velvet-like grass.

"Looks like Quicksand is hungry."

"Quicksand???? That surely is a lovely name."

Ardeth was pleased. He had thought of that name and was proud of it. "I saw him and the name just popped into my mind."

"I like your horse very much." Jean said, going to where Quicksand was eating to ruffle the mane of the ebony animal. Ardeth smiled at her.

"He has been with me since he was born, I raised him and trained him myself." 

"Wow…I always wanted to have a horse…but I lived in a city."

"I have been around horses ever since I was born. I love them, for they are very loyal. I leave now, Jean. You have nothing to fear here." He took the reins and the black Arab horse followed him obediently. "Enjoy…"

"Bye Ardeth." 

She waved until he was out of sight and then looked around her. When she was certain she was alone, Jean stripped naked and entered the Nile. The water was warm, and she let out a sigh as she felt it caress her bare skin. Diving into the water cleared her head and refreshed her instantly. She floated on her back in the shallows basking in the warm sun and let herself unwind. She swam for a while and then washed her hair under the fall. The place was so full of natural beauty that it rejoiced her senses. After bathing, she put her underwear on and lay in the shade, letting the warm air dry her long hair. The sound of the waterfall relaxed her to the point of almost falling asleep. With a smile, she rose and washed her clothes. She finished dressing and took the gun. 

'I am not used to this,' Jean thought as she pulled the trigger. The loud sound seemed to run through the desert and get lost in its immensity and vastness. Jean covered her head and lay in the sun while she waited for Ardeth. 

She had lost track of time and his voice startled her.

"You are getting a nice suntan."

"If you think I am gonna battle for the sake of the world in the middle of the desert and return to my country as white as a fish, you are very wrong."

"That was a witty comeback. Now, are you ready?"

"Yes, although I wish I could stay here longer."

"You can come back tomorrow if you like."

"Like it???????? I adore this place." Jean mounted behind him and held on to his waist. "It's hard to believe that we are in the middle of the Sahara."

"That's the beauty of my land…you never know what to expect. And we owe it all to Allah's wisdom on giving us such a generous present as this river is."

"I feel ten years younger."

"And you surely look like you've found the Fountain of Youth."

"Well, that was a really nice compliment, Ardeth…" Jean blushed and rested her head on one of his broad shoulders.

"Do you miss your home, Jean?" His voice was soft, almost caressing her ears.

"I believe I should…but I don't." Ardeth smiled, it was the answer that he had been expecting.

"I don't think you should sleep in my tent tonight." Jean blurted.

"I promised you I would protect you and I consider being close to you as you sleep as a primordial precaution to be taken."

"But your uncle…"

"I am the leader, Jean. And this is my will."

"I just didn't want to cause you any trouble."

"You won't. Don't even think about this matter again, for it's already solved."

Jean smiled and even though he couldn't see her face, Ardeth sensed it and that made him smile too. They arrived the camp, which was almost empty, and dismounted.

"All of my men are training by the rim. My grandfather must be there too and I shall join them. Do you wish to come?"

"No, thank you. I'm gonna rest for a while."

"Ok, Ahmad is in the camp. If you need anything, send him to me."

Jean went to the main tent and saw Ahmad chewing a piece of dried meat, while he kept watch.

"Ahmad… didn't you go training?"

"No, Jean." The young man swallowed and stood up, looking at her with reverence. "It was my turn to watch the camp."

"Do you always eat that kind of food?"

"Yes, we do. It's all we have here in the desert. Besides, none of us here knows how to cook, so it's the most practical thing to do."

"Men… " Jean faced him, "How many men are here in the camp?"

"54, Jean… and you, of course."

"Woa. Then I better make myself useful." Jean started loading him with plates and glasses.

"May I know what are you going to do?"

"I am setting the table. And then, we'll make a fire."


	10. Chapter ten

CHAPTER TEN

Three hours later, the warriors went back to the camp, tired but refreshed from the bath they had also taken in the Nile. They were surprised to find the table neatly arranged. Jean was pouring fresh water into the glasses and Ahmad was serving the plates. The smell of stew made everyone's stomach growl, while the sight of Jean cooking it by the fire was enough to leave them with their mouths hanging open.

"Oh, you are back! Go make yourselves comfortable and then come back. Dinner is ready." She announced cheerily.

The men did as she told them, but Ardeth and his grandfather stayed with her.

"You didn't have to do this, Jean," mumbled Ardeth.

"I know, but I wanted to. And Ahmad here was such a sweetie, helping me that I didn't have to go through too much effort."

"You are a good woman," sentenced Ahmed. "We are happy to have you with us."

"It's my honor to be here, sir," she simply said.

The warriors returned and sat by the table. When everybody was sitting, they prayed and then everybody started eating with fruition.

"This is awesome, Jean. You should consider staying with us permanently."

She laughed. "Thank you, Tarek. But I don't deserve all the credit, Ahmad helped me a lot." 

The young man was glowing. "Don't say such things, Jean, you were the one who did most of the job."

She put her hand on his shoulder. "Let's just say it was teamwork." Then she stood and refilled plates and glasses, refusing to accept any help. When they were done, Jean cleaned everything with Ahmad's help.

The full moon rose over Hamunaptra, bathing the city with its supernaturally brilliant light and even though she couldn't see much of the city from where the camp was, Jean felt something in the air that made her shiver. Quickly, she went to sit by the fire, where she had seen Ardeth sitting all alone.

"Hey…"

"Hello, Jean."

"It's pretty cold out here," she said, rubbing her arms.

"Yes, it is. Jean… what you did tonight… I have no words to thank you enough." He looked at her and she felt lost in those dark pools.

"It was nothing, I told you I wanted to. They… you all work too hard. Sometimes you deserve to be pampered."

"Some of us haven't had the cares of a woman for a long time and this surely comforted us. Take Ahmad, for an instance; he hasn't seen his mother in six months. He has only been within rude men like us. No wonder why he follows you like you were his life," he finished with a smile.

"Wow, I had no idea… What about you?"

"My mother died some time ago. And I am not used to being 'pampered' by a woman. These men are all my life," whispered the warrior.

"I'm sorry, Ardeth. Haven't you considered getting married?"

"I will when I find a woman willing to marry a man who spends six months a year in the desert and the rest of them traveling, or willing to live like this," he pointed to the tents. "And I will when I fall in love."

Jean, not knowing what to say, gently touched his hand. Most of the warriors had gone to sleep, but they stayed there, watching the stars.

"There is too much pressure on me to get married and no one understands I am not interested right now." He sounded burdened and Jean tried to make him smile.

"But I bet you wouldn't have trouble finding a woman… "

"No," he replied calmly. "Actually, I find it tiresome when women throw themselves at me constantly." Jean's eyebrows raised in amusement. "It is true. I have certainly had my fair share of offers, but none of them have been tempting enough to lure me from the desert." 

"But if you don't have any children, who will be Chieftain after you?"

"Tarek's children, I suppose. He is courting a young woman back in Cairo. Her name is Sheelah. Trust me, when I see them I feel old, almost outdated."

Jean smiled. "How old is he, 24?"

"23, actually. He has the same age I had when I became Chieftain."

"You were only 23???????" Was Jean's question, voiced in an awed tone.

"Yes, my father was killed in an attack and suddenly and without wanting to, I was the leader of twelve Med-jai tribes," he stated shaking his head. The fire and the moon played in his hair and cast their light on the warrior.

"That must have been a huge weight on your shoulders," she whispered sympathetically.

He stopped gazing at the sky and looked at her. "More than you will ever imagine. I was so afraid that I could barely breathe. I didn't even have time to grieve my father before having to deal with the responsibilities that my position involves. Tarek and Oded, my other brother, didn't seem to understand me; they were too young to know what I was going through. My mother… she just shut herself out of our lives and I felt as an orphan. Then, six months later she died. I didn't cry, you know? To me, she was already dead for she had left me when I needed her the most. My grandfather says she died out of love, but I can't help wonder why she loved me less than she loved my father." His eyes filled with tears. "That is why I never cried," he finished, his voice shaking a little.

Jean had tears in her eyes as well, as she leaned towards Ardeth and hugged him. He held on to her so tight she was almost out of breath.

"I know it is selfish to think this way…"

"No, it is not, Ardeth," said Jean looking deeply into his eyes. "You needed a mother or someone to lean on…and you didn't have one."

"I didn't, and that made me turn to my job as a Med-jai as a way of escaping my own thoughts and feelings. I spent my days in a semi-conscious state of mind, ignoring my brothers and focusing entirely on my labor. I thought it was helping me… at least I didn't cry every night. But, on the other hand, it was draining me, leaving me empty on the inside. One night, I couldn't take it any longer and left the tribe riding Quicksand. I traveled through the desert for five days, and then I felt I was ready to go back. I don't know quite well what happened to me during those days, but I guess I reconciled with my own pain and I was reborn. I returned and became really close with my brothers and then… well, here you have me."

A smile crossed his face and put one in Jean's. Her smile lit up the night like the moon at its fullest.

"You know? I have never told any of this to anybody before, but it is really easy to talk to you… thank you for listening."

"Thank you for confiding me this, Ardeth."

"Before you came, I had never enjoyed the company of a woman before… not in this way, at least." He smiled with a mischievous glimpse in his dark eyes.

Jean laughed. Ardeth was perplexed. In all his years he had led a serious life where he was trained and raised to be devoid of most emotions so that he was able to serve his task as Med-jai leader. He had never had a female companion to laugh or to cry with and the half girl and half woman that was sitting by his side, solemnly gazing at him and comforting him was making his rough façade change. 

All the women he had previously been with had only been interested in his body. Or in his rather large bank account, But Jean didn't know that and hadn't given any signs of the first, so it meant she was there as his… friend? He liked the idea, but now that he looked at her seeing her the way she really was, all he could do was hate the other women he had known.

Sensing the depth of his mood, Jean looked at him more attentively. For the first time she saw the vulnerability in his eyes, and felt his loneliness; it was just that it was part of his duty to guard his emotions. She stood up, lending him a hand. "We should go to sleep."

He took it and joined her. Both walked to the tent, where Ahmad was guarding. 

"I will change and I will come back," he said.

Jean entered, followed by Ahmad. "Do you need anything Jean?"

"No, thank you. You can go to sleep."

"Is my Lord going to sleep here tonight?" Asked the boy and blushed immediately.

"Yes… look, Ahmad, I don't want you to get the wrong thing out of this… " Started Jean.

"No, Jean," he cut her in, "I've heard you scream in your dreams and I know that's why he sleeps here. And if that's not the reason why, it's none of my business."

Jean patted his back. "You can rest now, Ahmad. Good night."

"Sleep well."

He left the tent and Jean changed into her sleeping clothes. She slid into the bed and waited for Ardeth. He didn't take too long and he entered smiling. Then he slowly lay in bed next to Jean.

"You know what I've just realized?"

"Tell me…"

"I am supposed to battle someone whom I barely know about."

"I will tell you the whole story tomorrow." He pulled up the blanket, in order to cover Jean against the night chill. "I hope you won't be cold during the night."

She turned to face him. "I won't."

"I'll stay here, Jean, the whole night. So, sleep well... no nightmares!"

With the last forces she had left, Jean smiled and drifted off to sleep. Ardeth turned off the lamp and watched her sleep, immerse in his thoughts.

During the night Jean was awakened by a soft moan beside her. It was Ardeth. Alarmed, she sat in bed.

"Ardeth, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing, go back to sleep." He tried to hide his tears.

She looked at him, a caring look in her eyes. "Is it because of what you told me tonight?"

He sighed, "Yes…"

Jean hesitated for a split-second, and then she put her arms around his shaking shoulders, making wordless, comforting sounds deep in her chest and her hands caressing his soft hair. Ardeth clutched at her as if he were drowning. 

"It is alright to cry, Ardeth, it's alright," she whispered into his silky hair.

He wiped his eyes and smiled at her shakily.

"I guess even us Med-jais have to have a cry sometimes," he said with a laugh that was almost another sob. "Thank you."

"You are welcome…I just hate to see you suffer. But I know, even though we've just met, that you're very strong." 

"That would explain the tears, I imagine?" he said, more sharply and acerbically than he'd intended.

"Where's it written that having emotions is a sign of weakness? You'd rather be permanently pissed off at the world and calling it strength?" 

"You are right… and you are very lovable, Jean. Thanks for everything. We must sleep now."

"I know, good night."

"Good night Jean." He kissed her softly on her cheek. She smiled in the dark and he closed his eyes as Jean rested her head on his chest. He could sense her starting to relax and he did too until they both fell asleep.


	11. Chapter eleven

AN: Hey all! Thanx a lot for you lovely reviews. I'm happy to know that you're still there, following Ardeth and Jean's adventures.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

When Ardeth woke up the following morning, he has an unusual feeling of peace within himself. He smiled, knowing that the reason was between his strong arms.

'This is not appropriate,' he thought; but then he felt her warmth and listened to her, breathing softly against his chest and forgot about everything else. He just laid there, gently twisting strands of Jean's hair in his fingers as she slept, head pillowed on his chest, slumbering peacefully as the rising sun painted her in fire. 

Jean's breathing was perfectly synchronized with is own, his chest rising and falling in time with her respiration. Truth be known, he admired her for her spirit, but Ardeth realized that a new feeling was being born inside his heart. It went beyond love and physical attraction. He couldn't name it, and didn't even try to; all he cared about what how wonderful it felt. Allah help them all if disaster were to strike right them, because Ardeth knew he would be useless.

Jean began to stir and opened her lovely green eyes. She faced Ardeth's, deep and intense, studying her and smiled. 

"Ardeth…" she murmured contentedly.

"Good morning Jean."

"G-morning. How did you sleep?" Asked Jean.

"Very well, thank you."

"So, what duties does this day have in store for us?"

"We shall go exploring Hamunaptra's surroundings, for the ones who attacked you might still be around there somewhere… but first I have a story to tell you, remember?" He asked.

"Yes, and I'm looking forward to hearing it," was her soft reply as she studied his face.

"Then you should get dressed as I will take you to a place where you will understand the story better. I will wait for you outside, with Quicksand ready," said Ardeth as he got up from bed, put his robe back on and left the tent.

Jean got dressed in her black clothes, brushed her hair and looked at her reflection in the mirror. She was tanned and she liked the way she looked. After applying some lipstick, she went outside and greeted Ahmad. She then headed to where Ardeth was waiting for her.

He leapt onto Quicksand. "Come. We must leave now." He held out a hand to help her up.

After about a half hour Jean asked, "Where are we going?"

"We are going to a place not even my warriors know exists," was his mysterious answer.

They came to find a rocky patch in the desert and they entered some sort of a canyon. About a hundred yards in, Ardeth Bay directed the horse to a group of dry, raquitical bushes. He stopped the horse and told her to stay on, then dismounted and moved the bush aside to expose a hidden opening. He led the horse through the opening and covered it behind them. Jean saw the sunlight shining at the end of the tunnel, which was about 30 feet long. She realized that there was an oasis there. And a tomb.

There was what appeared to be a hallway and on the walls were the most beautiful paintings and hieroglyphics she'd ever seen, and they were in almost perfect condition. He led her down the main hallway and at an intersection of three hallways turned right. Finally she walked into the burial chamber. All she could do was stare. The artwork was beautiful and very different there. Not in the style you would expect to see in what appeared to be an Egyptian tomb. Instead of the figures being one dimensional, these paintings were life like three-dimensional portraits.

"This place is…where are we?" She asked in awe.

"This is where Seti the First was buried after being killed by his first wife, Anck-su-namun. No one knows this, even the Med-jai think he is buried in Thebes. Only the Chieftains during history have known that his remains were brought here to be safe from any evil force."

"But you told me…and I am not a Chieftain…"

"No, you are not, but you are a key figure in this story, so you must know it completely. Sit," he said. When Jean sat, he did the same and begun talking. "I have brought you here to tell you the story of Imhotep, the un-dead. You will find it hard to believe, but you must do it, for he will be the one you will have to battle."

"After all I have been through, I will believe the story, trust me."

Ardeth smiled. "We are part of an ancient secret society. For three thousand years we have guarded the City of the Dead. We are sworn at manhood to do anything and everything in our power to stop the High Priest Imhotep from ever being reborn into this world. 

This, which I am telling you, takes place in Thebes, city of the living about 3,000 years ago. Thebes was the crown Jewel of Pharaoh Seti the First, for it was the most developed and magnificent city of the Egyptian Empire. He lived there, with his first wife Anck-su-namun, his daughter Nefertiri and an army of soldiers, servants and the men who helped him rule Egypt. Imhotep was his High Priest, and keeper of the dead. The Pharaoh held him among his most trustworthy men.

No man, other than the pharaoh, was allowed to touch Anck-su-namun and for that purpose, her entire body was painted in intricate designs with special ink. Unfortunately, Imhotep and Anck-su-namun fell deeply in love. They both knew they would be killed if they were found together, but for their love they were willing to risk life itself. As you may imagine, Imhotep touched her, and his touch left a trail of faded ink on Anck-su-namun's skin. That trail was actually found by the Pharaoh himself and they both murdered him before he had a chance to say anything. Imhotep didn't want to escape and leave Anck-su-namun to face death all alone, but she and his priests persuaded him to do so, as he was the only one who could resurrect her. Somehow, the Medjai soldiers found out and entered the room to find the adulterous mistress staring at the Pharaoh's dead body. Anck-su-namun knew that one day, no matter what happened, she and Imhotep would be together again; so she simply committed suicide. Her last words were 'My body is no longer his sanctuary'."

Jean was impressed by the story and followed every word Ardeth was telling her with extreme attention. On the other side, he was pleased to find her so interested in the story in which all his tribe and work were based.

"Imhotep and his priests managed to steal her body and take it to Hamunaptra, City of the Dead. The Med-Jai arrived in time to halt the blasphemous ceremony before Imhotep could restore the concubine's soul to her mummified body. For this outrage Imhotep's priests were condemned to be mummified alive. As for Imhotep, he was condemned to endure the Hom-Dai, one of the worst ancient curses reserved only for the most evil of blasphemers; such a horrifying practice that had never before been bestowed: he would be locked alive inside a sarcophagus filled with carnivorous beetles, which don't kill, but eat the person bite by bite. His name was removed from the sarcophagus so he couldn't introduce himself to the gods. He could never enter the afterlife. He is to remain sealed inside his sarcophagus, the un-dead for all of eternity. We, the Med-jai, will never allow him to be released for he would arise a walking disease, a plague upon mankind, an unholy flesh-eater with the strength of ages, power over the sands and the glory of invincibility. It is written that if a victim of the Hom-Dai should ever arise he would bring with him the ten plagues of Egypt after a whole week of his new life goes by. So I guess you understand what my fears are."

Jean shivered as she made a mental account of the plagues and remembered the tenth plague: the death of the first-born. Ardeth was a first-born… He seemed oblivious and, as she didn't want to worry him, she focused on something else.

"I do, Ardeth. But how can he be reborn?"

"Buried at Hamunaptra, there is a book, the Black Book of the Dead, and it is believed that if it is red aloud, Imhotep will be awoken," he informed her, a bit of apprehension creeping into his voice.

"So you fear that someone may find the black book and use it to bring him back to life."

"That is correct."

"I understand," Jean said, standing up and walking around the place, "and how can he be killed?"

"No mortal weapon can kill the creature, he is not from this world. It is written that the Med-jai can only defeat Imhotep's army, but there is one person that carries the Med-jai symbol on her or his body, not because it was tattooed, but for it is inside the person and makes its way through the skin; and that person is the one who can kill Imhotep. How? That I do not know, but you are that person, Jean. And the fact that you are here tells us that someone will bring Imhotep back to our world."

"God…this is quite a story, Ardeth. And why have you brought me here instead of taking me inside Hamunaptra or to Thebes?"

"Because I saw what happened to you as you entered Hamunaptra for the first time and, as I have already told you, Pharaoh Seti is buried here," he stated.

Jean didn't understand. "So…?"

"I thought you could find strength here, Jean. Seti was one of the most fair and good-natured pharaohs throughout Egypt's history; he was a true role model and being inside his tomb may inspire you and help you find your courage to defeat Imhotep."

Jean smiled and headed towards a wall with paintings of a man sitting on a throne. Ardeth approached her from behind.

"That is Seti," he explained, "this represents the golden era of his reign."

Jean reached out a hand to touch the figure, but Ardeth stopped her. 

"Are you sure about this?"

"No, but I need to find answers." She answered and touched the wall. As she did, her head jerked back, her face pale. She felt love, sadness, anger and disappointment all together in turmoil. But then, the emotions cleared and she found herself looking at Seti's face. He was talking to her, telling her something, but she couldn't even understand a word. And then, he was gone. Jean fell back into Ardeth's arms, shaking.

"Easy, Jean," he said, holding her tightly, "what happened?"

She began to calm down. "I felt his emotions…and then he spoke to me. He tried to tell me something, but I couldn't understand it…"

"You are too tired Jean, we must go back."

"No!" she yelled, with more strength than she had intended, "I'm sorry, but I need to try one more time. I need to know what is he telling me."

"I understand, but you must rest first. Come, let's go to the oasis."

They went back there, hand in hand, and sat by the pond after drinking some clear, fresh water. Jean took off her turban and let her hair fall down her shoulders.

"You know, you don't have to cover you hair every day. My men have already seen it," ha said, without tearing his eyes from the crimson cascade that covered her shoulders.

"Yup, but it's a sign of respect."

"It certainly is."

"Well, then I will cover it, period." She looked around and sighed. "I never imagined places like this existed. Nor I ever imagined that people lived the way your tribe does. It's fascinating," said Jean with reverence.

"Everything Allah has created is fascinating." Jean touched his cheek gently, following the tattoo's design with one of her long, delicate fingers. 

"You have showed me so many marvelous things that I will treasure these moments for all my life."

"And I will never forget the moments we have spent together," Ardeth said, reaching to her to take her hand. As he did so, a look of pain crossed his face.

"What is it?"

He smiled and pulled out his scimitar. "It was in my waist and when I leaned…"

"Ouch…" Jean said. "Can I have a closer look at your sword?"

"Sure," he handed it to her, "and, by the way, it's called scimitar," he said, matter-of-factly.

Jean laughed and examined it in the sunlight. It was beautiful. There were several different precious stones in the hilt. 

"Where did you get it?"

"It has belonged to my family for over five generations," he explained. "The precious stones signify the men in my family tree who have done great deeds with this 'sword'."

"And why is there one missing?"

"That would be where I will place my jewel one day."

"Awesome…How many times have you been here?"

"Many, since I was a boy. I find this place soothing. I come here sometimes to think or just to get away from the world. It's my secret place, but I don't mind sharing it with you."

Jean rose smiling. "When you go visit me to USA, I'll share with you my secret place and we'll be even, deal?"

"You've got yourself a deal, Miss Marquet."

"Now…we have to go back to that chamber," she said resolutely.

"Only if you want to."

"I do, let's go." Jean started walking. Ardeth rose and followed her, simply marveled by her determination and commitment. 'She is becoming one of us,' he thought. 


	12. Chapter twelve

CHAPTER TWELVE

They entered the burial chamber once again and Jean stood in front of the wall. Ardeth put an arm around her shoulders, ready to provide her support in case she lost her strength.

"Be careful," he warned her.

Jean smiled, took a deep breath trying to relax and open her mind, and gently placed her hand on the wall. This time, she didn't feel Seti's emotional turmoil, but saw his face clearer than before. He was looking at her with a warm expression on his hazel eyes.

"Welcome. I thank your father Ra infinitely for bringing you to me. There is something I need to tell you."

"I am willing to listen, Pharaoh," she heard herself say.

"There is purity in your soul and you are the chosen one. But Imhotep is an evil, revengeful being; you must be careful for he will not stop until he has conquered the world. To stop him, the key is in the Golden Book. You shall succeed. Go in peace now."

Jean suddenly opened her eyes. Ardeth was holding her firmly and studying her face with great concern. He tipped her face up to his, spell bound by the clarity in her emerald eyes. She had changed. There was something different about her, almost as though she had awakened from a long slumber and there was a hunger in her eyes as her fists clenched involuntarily. 

"Jean," he shook her shoulders a bit, "are you alright?"

"Yes, yes…"

"What happened? Did you see Seti?" He asked anxiously.

"Yes and he spoke to me. This time I was able to understand… he spoke Egyptian I think, but that didn't matter."

"What did he tell you?"

"That Imhotep would never give up until ruling the world," Jean said, trying to put her thoughts together.

"It is true; this creature is the bringer of death. He will never eat, he will never sleep. He will never stop."

"Good Lord!" She exclaimed. " He also told me that the key for defeating him is in a book, a golden book. Does this make any sense to you?"

"Yes, it does. It is believed that near his tomb, two books were hidden. One of them I already told you about. And the second one, the Golden Book of the Living, or the Book of Amun Ra, when red by the right person, can take an evil force's life away; maybe it will work with Imhotep."

"I hope so, Ardeth. Look, my arm is not bleeding!"

"Then this wasn't a nightmare or a vision, this was something else."

"I believe it's called extracorporeal experience."

She was feeling energetic, and was no longer afraid. Her destiny was inevitable and she would, with the help of God, emerge triumphant. "Shouldn't we go back to the camp?" Jean asked.

"Yes, we should. The Med-jai must be waiting for me to go around Hamunaptra," informed Ardeth.

"You mean us, right?"

"No, you are not entering that city again," he said flatly.

"You said you would only explore the surroundings."

"You got me there. Still, I do not want you anywhere near Hamunaptra."

"Ardeth, get real! Our camp is 300 metres away from Hamunaptra and I am not dead or anything like that, am I?" Asked Jean with a persuading smile.

"It is impossible to reason with you!" 

"No, it's not. The thing is that you are not being reasonable..."

"Alright, fine," he gave up. " You can come with us. But I will be damned if I let you dismount."

Jean smiled, very pleased with herself. "I don't care, I am going anyway."

_"Allah," _he prayed in Arabic, _"please give me patience." _"Now let's go, we still have many things to do."

"Wait, I need to do something before leaving."

He shot her a questioning look, which Jean ignored. Tears filled her eyes as she stood in front of Seti's painting and spoke to him in a very low voice.

"Goodbye, Pharaoh. I don't think we'll meet again, but thank you for your help." 

Despite his tone, Ardeth was able to understand her words and her gesture marveled him. After looking at the picture for a couple more minutes, Jean followed him obediently and mounted on Quicksand. They left the canyon. She was very quiet and Ardeth wondered why. 

After a while, she sighed and said. "I wonder if I will ever return to this place."

The sadness he sensed in her voice made him want to say something to cheer her up, to push those sorrowful thoughts away from her mind, and from his, because he knew his 'special place' would never be the same if she wasn't with him.

"You will, Jean. Allah would never be so soulless as to keep you away from us for too long. He knows it would be unbearable," he stated in a low voice filled with emotions.

She smiled through the tears her eyes were threatening to spill and held on to Ardeth's waist more tightly. It took them a while longer to arrive the camp and when they did, Jean dismounted and frowned.

"Is there anything wrong Jean?" Asked Tarek who had come to greet them.

"Yes…I am in a lot of pain…but it's nothing."

"Where?" He asked.

"It doesn't matter," Jean answered, looking away.

"Tell us, Jean, maybe we can do something about it," offered Ardeth.

"I doubt it." Jean blushed, but couldn't suppress a smile.

He lost patience. "For Allah's sake, woman, tell us where it hurts you!"

"Let me put it this way, Ardeth. Where did you felt intense pain the first time you rode a horse for a long time?"

"I doubt you, as a woman, can feel any pain in there. See, I am a man and…"

"Spare me the lecture, Ardeth…" Jean cut him in, "which was the second part then???"

"Oh, I see."

At that moment, Tarek broke into laughter and his brother and Jean joined him. Tarek paused to look at his brother with curiosity. He knew Ardeth very well and never had he heard him laugh as he was now. He glanced back at the woman who was laughing with them, and then he returned his gaze back to his teary-eyed brother. He smiled a knowing smile and went on cracking. 

"I am glad to see you so cheerful, my children." Ahmed smiled at them benevolently.

"Grandfather, we are sorry…" Said Ardeth.

"Never apologize for laughing, Ardeth. Now tell me, where have you been?"

Jean spoke for Ardeth. "We went to…" she saw Tarek and was forced to lie, "to an oasis. There, your grandson explained Imhotep's story to me."

"Good. I shall go rest now." He turned and left, but Jean followed him and when they had reached a prudential distance from Tarek, she addressed to him.

"Sir?"

"Tell me, young one."

"Ardeth didn't just take me to an oasis, he took me to the real place where Seti is buried," she declared.

The man smiled pleasantly. "It was very wise from you not to mention it in front of Tarek."

"Ardeth told me it was a secret…"

"A secret you deserve to know."

Jean hesitated for a second before going on. "And there… Seti spoke to me."

The old man's eyes widened. "You mean he appeared to you?"

"Something like that, sir. It was like a vision."

"You are very fortunate to possess such a gift. What did he tell you?"

"He warned me about Imhotep and told me that the way to defeat him can be found in the Book of Amun Ra."

"Then I am more than pleased to know that my grandson had the sense to take you there." Ahmed studied her face. "You seem somewhat tired, my child, and it is most understandable after what you have experienced. You should try to rest for a while."

"We are going to explore Hamunaptra now, but I will rest later. Thanks for your concern over me."

The man caressed her cheek very softly. "You are a real _Aiwa Sayadi_. I wish you and my grandson good fortune on your exploration."

"Thank you sir. I will see you at dinner."

"Yes, goodbye. And may Allah be with you." He turned and entered his tent.

Jean hurried back to where Ardeth was.

"So, when are we leaving?"

"You haven't desisted, have you?"

"Only in your dreams," she said, giving him a soft shove.

Ardeth smiled and took a black Arab horse's reins. "Do you know how to guide a horse?"

"Well of course I do!" She retorted, trying to look indignated but failing miserably.

"Then you shall ride this one on your own. My men have just bought it."

"How beautiful…what's its name?"

"We haven't named him yet." intervened Ahmad, who had just arrived with two canteens filled with fresh water. "Here, for the journey."

"Thank you, Ahmad," Ardeth said and turned to Jean. "Would you like to name this animal?"

"You serious?" She asked, full of wonder.

"Of course."

"I would love to! But I don't know…"

"Just look at him and think of a name you feel it suits him."

Jean took a faltering step forward, running her hand across the animal's neck. It was a splendid specimen of the native Arabian breed - compact and muscular, tail held high, nostrils flared, the glossy coat a deep chocolate black - exactly the same shade as Ardeth's horse. It contrasted sharply with the gold harness fittings and the red embroidery that festooned the horse's body. She noticed a patch of white hair on the animal's forehead. It was shaped like a… "Diamond," she said softly, "Do you like it?"

"Very much." Ardeth smiled. "Now that we are done with this, we must leave at once. So go on, mount on 'Diamond'."

In one easy motion, she stepped into the stirrup and swung herself up onto the horse. Diamond bucked a little, but she gained control immediately, talking soothingly, her fingers combing through his shiny mane. She trotted in little circles around Ardeth, while he watched her indulgently.

"He's a little spirited," Jean remarked. "But dependable." Ardeth laughed.

"Sounds like you're made for each other!" he said and Jean wrinkled her nose at him. 

"Very funny. Who is coming with us?"

"Five of my best men: Tarek, of course, Hajeb and Sabi, the two warriors who trained you and two more, Vosloo and Amid." 

"Hey, you can speak Arabic during the journey…"

"That will not be necessary, Jean, but I appreciate the offer. " As Ardeth was speaking, the five men gathered around them.

"Are we all set?"

"Yes, Chieftain," said Hajeb.

"Good, let's go then."

They all spurred the horses and set off to Hamunaptra. Jean couldn't help but notice that Tarek and the other four men were riding in a circular formation around her and Ardeth.

"Ardeth?"

"Yes…"

"Why are your men surrounding us?"

"You just don't miss a thing, do you? It is a way of protecting us against any enemy attack."

"Wow…you mean that they are willing to die in order to protect you?"

"And you," he replied.

"Geez."

"This reminds me…you need a weapon to defend yourself, just in case." He took a scimitar from a huge bag he was carrying and handed it to Jean. "Here, take this one."

"Thank you." Jean took it and studied it. "It's really nice. By the way, what are you carrying inside that bag?"

"Weapons and ammo."

"Am I missing something here?"

Ardeth didn't understand. "What do you mean?"

"I just thought we were going to explore a tumbledown city, not that we were going into battle."

"This is just a precaution."

"Some precaution."

Suddenly, they heard voices coming from the city they were investigating only from the outside. They stopped the horses and tried to understand what they were saying, but it was in vain.

"Tarek, Sabi, come with me. You, Jean stay here with them," Ardeth said, pointing at the other three men.

"No way, darling, I am coming with you," whispered a resolute Jean.

"I thought we had already discussed this issue."

"Yes, and you said I could come along if I didn't dismount, which right now couldn't be farther away from my mind. Besides, it is better to stick together."

"Brother," interceded Tarek, "Jean is right."

Ardeth finally gave up. "Fine, fine, follow me."

They all entered Hamunaptra and were surprised to find the main corridors empty.

"Where did those voices go?" Asked Vosloo intrigued.

"They are at Anubis' feet. Where Imhotep's buried," said Jean.

"How did you…?"

"Don't ask how, Tarek, I just know it."

"Then we must go inside. Jean…"

"Oh, come on! I've come this far to miss all the fun? I don't think so." She dismounted, followed by the Med-Jai and Ardeth shot her an angry look. "Easy, Ardeth, don't kill me. Don't forget I am the only one here who can lead you to those people."

She started walking inside a dark tunnel. The warriors pulled out their scimitars and walked behind her. Jean led them to a chamber and there they found about 100 men who appeared to be worshipping Imhotep. It was as if they were transported back 3000 years.

***

So, the action starts! I hope you liked this chapter. Since I don't know Arabic I am using Aiwa Sayadi as desert rose, even though it doesn't mean that. I think it stands for 'yes sir', but well... it sounded so nice!

Now I'd like to answer to last chapter's reviews. They were very good. I am so grateful for them that I have decided to implement this new system. First of all, thanks everyone for reviewing. After all, it is what keeps me going.

Cindy, here's more!!! I'm glad you noticed Jean's strength, since I've enjoyed creating her that way.

Laurus Nobilis, Indeed, Jean's got a great responsibility... wouldn't like to be in her shoes! Thanks for being such a faithful reader!

Dead-Girls-Watch, thank you very much for your kind words!!!

Robyn, wow, I really appreciate you pointing that out! Quite frankly, I wasn't even thinking about the difference between a wife and a concubine when I wrote that part and used them as equivalent terms. Bad me! And thanks a lot for following the story, without readers like you, writing would lose a lot of its fun.


	13. Chapter thirteen

AN: Sorry sorry sorry it has taken me sooooooooo long to update. Thing is, I've just started my sophomore year at college and needed a bit of time to adjust... my Harry Potter and Presidio Med fics and other original stories have suffered as well. It's just that... man, this year looks like a real uphill climb...

Anyway, I promise I won't be such a b**** again and I'll update more regularly now. I think it'll be weekly, on Saturdays or Sundays.

Well, enough rambling. Here's the next chappy. 

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

"For Allah, they are trying to awake Imhotep," exclaimed the Chieftain in a hushed voice.

Jean and the warriors looked at each other, their eyes widened in horror and a sense of increasing foreboding seemed to settle among them.

"What do we do, Master?" Asked Hajeb.

"Just wait. We need to know what we are facing..." 

They watched the men, unaware of their presence, as they performed a ritual dance. 

"These people must have begun as spiritualists with a belief in reincarnation," whispered Ardeth. "For some reason, they have dedicated themselves to raising Imhotep. For what reason I don't know." He gave a grim, humorless smile. "Perhaps they are hoping for world domination."

"God…" Jean was whispering too.

"Look, they have the Book of the Dead…" Tarek pointed out.

"We must stop them!" Urged Jean.

Ardeth couldn't take it any longer and spoke.

_"What are you doing here?"_

The worshippers turned to Ardeth in surprise. One man, wearing a white priest robe smiled in a way that sent chills down to Jean's back. He was the only one who didn't seem Arab.

"We are asking the Dark One to come to us. We need him to rule this world," he said, in a tone that grated her nerves. Jean realized by his accent that he was probably from England.

"Are you mad? Imhotep will kill you all," intervened Tarek, stepping forward.

"Not if we make a pact with him," went on the priest, only to be cut off by Jean.

"A deal with the devil? Be careful with that. Don't play with fire if you don't want to end up burnt."

"So, you are the woman…"

"At least I was last time I checked," she retorted.

"You could have eternal life if you joined us."

"Oh, really?"

The man looked at her, sizing her up, before announcing, "You could be Anck-su-namun spirit's guest body."

Jean's eyes widened and she let out a dry laugh. "No way."

The worshippers pulled out long swords and began surrounding them.

"If you don't accept we will kill your friends," was the threat and before she could reply, the man grabbed Jean by her hair. Problem was, he faced Ardeth's sharp scimitar and was forced to let her go.

" She will not accept, believe me."

_"Attack them. Kill them!"_ Commanded the priest.

The Med-jai fought with courage and strength, even though they were in clear disadvantage. But they managed to kill most of Imhotep's adorers. Jean did the best she could, injuring many and defending herself until Ardeth stopped her and his men.

"Enough!" He turned to the priest, who was trying to escape discretely, the Black Book in hand. "We will shed no more blood, but you must leave this place. _Leave this place or die. You have one day."_

Silence followed his fierce words, and Jean and the Med-jai followed their leader outside the chamber without being stopped.

"We should have taken the Book…" Said Jean as they got on their horses.

"We will get it tomorrow. Imhotep cannot be woken up after the sun sets. Anybody is hurt?" Ardeth asked while they started leaving the City of the Dead.

"No," answered Amid, "we were lucky they were only priests and not warriors."

"Indeed we were." Ardeth turned to Jean, "You could have been killed in there."

"So could you, and Tarek, and Sabi, and Hajeb and Vosloo and Amid. But we weren't," she said softly.

The five men smiled, but Ardeth was still serious. "We must not tempt fate."

Jean snorted. "Give me a break, Ardeth, I build my own destiny with every step I take every single day. Besides, I think I fought quite well."

He couldn't suppress a smile. "You did."

"Then your lessons were fruitful," said Jean smiling at the warriors.

"There was not so much to teach you. You are a natural."

"Well, thank you, Ardeth."

In a heartbeat, they were back in the camp. Jean got off Diamond and caressed his soft mane.

"You really like it, don't you?" asked Tarek.

"I adore this horse. I wish I could take him with me to USA."

"So, you are planning on leaving us?" He asked, the slight edge of sadness in his voice made Jean stop patting Diamond and turn to him.

"I came here only temporarily, Tarek."

"I know, but I… we… some of us expected you would change your mind and choose to stay here," he mumbled.

"I can't…"

He softly took her hand. "Just think about it."

"Okay, I will," she said with a smile, looking fondly at the man in front of her.

Ardeth returned from watering his horse and frowned when saw his brother holding Jean's hand.

"You should try to get some sleep until the evening meal," he told her a bit too sharply.

"You are right Ardeth. See you two later," said Jean, who took no notice of his tone and left to disappear inside her tent.

"What was that, Tarek?" Ardeth confronted his brother.

"What was what?" The younger man looked confused.

"You know what I mean," stated Ardeth shortly, glancing at Jean's tent.

Realization dawned on Tarek and he eyed his brother with his brows arched. "I was talking to Jean. Oh, wait. No way, you must be joking."

Ardeth remained silent, only giving him a quizzical look.

"You are jealous!" He declared.

"I am not!"

"You are, my brother. You have fallen for Jean," said Tarek, smiling a know-it-all smile.

"Look, Tarek…" But Ardeth wasn't allowed to finish.

"Hey, you don't have to worry about me. I was just asking her to stay for I thought she would make a wonderful wife for you and maybe she could become the first Med-jai woman."

"Why don't you mind your own businesses?" He roared.

Tarek was startled. Ardeth took a deep breath and looked almost embarrassed for his outburst. He looked into his brother's eyes and sincerely said, "I am sorry."

"I understand, Ardeth, I do."

Ardeth held his hand out to his brother. Tarek clasped it immediately. 

"I will consider it, _al zameel_ (my brother), but not now. Besides, she won't stay."

"It was worth to try. I have a letter to write…to Sheelah. See you at dinner, my brother," said Tarek, as good-naturedly as always.

Ardeth didn't answer him, for he was lost in his own thoughts about a certain red-headed woman that had won his heart.

***

I know it's shamefully short, but I needed a bit more time before starting with the real action. Thanks to everyone who read, and double thanks to those of you who reviewed.

**Ruth**, your email definitely made me work really hard to finish this chapter. Knowing that I have such faithful readers as you is the best food for my imagination I can think of. I'll try not to kill anyone... but I can't promise much. Thanks a lot for your interest in my story.

**Deana** and **Cindy**, more action is on the way, hold on!!!! I'm really grateful for you taking the time to follow my story and reviewing it. You make it worthwhile.

**Dead-Girls-Watch**, you shouldn't be thanking me for updating, I am the one who has to thank for your attention. So here it comes: thanx for the review and your kind words. See you on the next chapter!!!


	14. Chapter fourteen

AN: Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your lovely reviews!!!!!!! You guys are the best readers in the entire world!!!!!!!!!!

I really meant to update earlier, but I seem to have broken some ffnet rule (I'm still trying to figure out what I did wrong) in another story and I didn't have upload access for a while... bummer. As to make matters worse, the guy who is supposed to fix my laptop hasn't returned it to me yet, so I'm uploading from my father's really slow PC. Right now I feel like sending Ardeth to teach the so-called technician a nice lesson with his scimitar. Oh! And I'm with a lot of fever, a sore throat and an awful headache (damned flu), but here's the next chappie. Please forgive any mistakes I might have made in this pill-induced daze.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The sands rose as a lone figure screamed from within a pyramid. She ran around, looking fearfully for any possible way to get out of the tomb. The walls shook and small stones started to come from the ceiling. "Let me out!" she screamed. Suddenly, a rope appeared seemingly out of nowhere; it led to the ceiling. Jean grabbed it and held on tightly. The rope slowly pulled itself up and toward her possible freedom. She smiled in relief as she saw a small light in the ceiling becoming brighter. The light grew so bright that she closed her eyes. She felt a strong hand grabbing hers. 

"Thank you," Jean said with joy, as she stepped down with her eyes shut. She felt the rope looping around her. She opened his eyes to see the rope transformed into a long cobra. The cobra was large, black and it had red-on-black eyes. It arched as its hood spread out. "Help!" she screamed, as she tried to break free. It wrapped itself tight around her as she started to struggle to breathe. 

"No one can help you now," a deep voice said, as Jean looked up at his 'rescuer.' The figure had morphed into an Egyptian man with full lips and black tattoos all over his body. Imhotep laughed as Jean saw the snake melt and cover her entire body. 

She opened her eyes and screamed, "NO! GET IT AWAY!!! I' WON'T DIE! I WON'T DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" 

Ahmad entered the tent and tried to awake Jean, but his efforts were in vain. She seemed to be in some kind of trance. Ardeth hurried inside to find the young man shaking the screaming Jean, trying to bring her back to her senses, and covering her bleeding arm with his own robe. Ardeth began talking to her.

"Jean, Jean, it's alright. Come back."

Suddenly, she sat in bed and stared at the two men with her eyes wide opened.

"Imhotep is coming," she said in a deep voice, and fainted.

"Go get some water," ordered Ardeth as he pulled the covers off from Jean, leaving her body uncovered. She had stopped screaming and was now crying. Ahmad was back almost immediately with a cube of cold water. Ardeth took a black garment, dipped it into the water and applied it to Jean's forehead; he did the same several times with Ahmad's help, but placed the wet cloths on her stomach, chest, legs and arms, specially in the bleeding one.

She slowly started to awake. "Ardeth…Ahmad…" she mumbled.

"We are here, Jean," he said firmly, yet gently.

Ahmad couldn't say a word, he was too shocked as to do so and felt so much sorrow at the pain and torment his new American friend had to endure. 

Her eyes opened and she smiled. But then she realized she was lying in bed wearing only her underwear and tried to cover her body.

"Do not worry, Jean. We will leave so you can get dressed," said Ahmad after finding his voice.

The two of them left the tent and once they were outside, he sighed heavily.

"It hurts, doesn't it?" Muttered Ardeth.

"Beg you pardon, master?" Asked Ahmad without understanding his leader's words.

"I mean, seeing Jean suffer so much."

"It is awful," the young man smiled sadly, "there has to be something else we can do to help her other than your company."

"About that, Ahmad…"

"You don't owe me any explanations, my lord. We both care for her and that's all that matters to me."

Ardeth placed a hand on his warrior's shoulder in a warm gesture.

"Jean will be fine. She is a very strong woman…maybe the strongest I have ever known," he stated.

"I know, but why does she have to go trough all this?" Complained Ahmad. It was the first time he had dared to complain about anything in Ardeth's presence.

The leader understood and gave him a faint smile. "It is Allah's will. And hers, for she accepts the nightmares and visions willingly, as a part of her 'mission' here."

"Then there is nothing we can do?" 

"I know it may not seem important, but we must support her while she is going through all this and help her battle Imhotep. We cannot let him harm her."

"I will, sir, with all my heart," said Ahmad. And he meant it, wholeheartedly.

"Good." 

They heard Jean's voice calling for Ardeth and he entered the tent. She had put on a navy blue Arab outfit and was sitting in bed.

"Are you feeling any better?" He asked, concern all over his lovely face.

"Yes, thank you," she said, still a bit shakily.

"How is your mark?"

"It has stopped bleeding. What happened?"

"You were having a nightmare, I think, as you started screaming, but you opened your eyes and told us that Imhotep was coming and then you fainted. We couldn't wake you up. You really scared us," replied Ardeth, all in one breath.

It took Jean a few seconds to process all he had said and when she did, all she managed to do was bury her face in her hands.

"Jean?" Asked Ardeth tentatively.

"Damn, I'm sorry for all this..."

"It wasn't you fault, little one," he said gently. "Tell me, what did you dream about?"

"All I can remember is his face, twisted in anger and his voice telling me that no one could help me as a cobra was about to bite me. It was very disturbing."

"Come with me, Jean," Ardeth said, stretching his hand out to her, "perhaps some fresh air will help you; you are too pale."

She smiled and followed him outside. There the men were building a fire in the center of the camp and some of them were setting the table for the evening meal.

"I should go help them cook dinner," she started.

"You will not do such thing tonight. Maybe tomorrow, but now you have to rest." 

"Okay, then I'll se you later, the Nile will keep me accompanied."

"Goodbye."

Jean headed to the Nile's rim and sat down by the water edge as she started to pass her hand through it..back and forth..it was so cool and she wished she had been alone, so she could get into it. She stopped her hand and brought it out from the water and when the surface of the river became like glass she looked in to see her reflection. Jean fixed her eyes in the Nile's stream and listened to the quiet whisper of the running waters.

The smoldering sun sank slowly below the horizon, giving way to a myriad of stars that would light up the exotic Egyptian sky creating an effect of truly intense and beautiful Arabian nights.

The palm trees swayed gracefully in the caressing breeze as if they were dancing to the music created by the flowing river Nile. The Nile carried in its stream, eons of secrets of lovers having met over the passage of time. The whispering of the trees almost sounded like a beckoning to the young hearts of Arabia, inviting them to begin yet another love story that would be etched into the sands of time.

She didn't realize how long she had been in such a peaceful state of mind until she heard a voice behind her.

"I am sorry to disturb you, Jean, but Ardeth sent me to build a fire here so you won't get cold."

"It's ok, Tarek, thank you," she watched the man work efficiently. "Truth is, I hadn't noticed how chilli it was."

"You seemed truly relaxed and lost in your thoughts," he said, looking at Jean with great interest.

She smiled briefly. "I was. This place has a magic I can't put into words, but that helps me forget about any worry and enjoy every minute I spend here."

Tarek had finished his job and a small fire was set near Jean. The flames danced a cheerful dance and dyed the surroundings with their intense reds and oranges.

"Would you like some company?"

"Well, it wouldn't hurt."

He sat next to Jean and sighed. "Unlike Ardeth, I hated this life when I was younger. But then I got used to the desert and now I wouldn't be able to live anywhere else."

"But what about Sheelah, won't you go live with her in Cairo?"

"I see my brother told you about her," he said and smiled, "I love her, but if we marry, we will be separated most of the time, like my parents were. She hates the desert and I wouldn't leave it for the world. I know it will be hard if we have any children, but that's the way the Med-jai have to live."

"Was it hard for you to grow up with your father spending so much time in the desert?" She asked sympathetically.

"It was, but I was quite used to it. I was happy with my mother, Ardeth and Oded; besides, when my father was in Cairo he used to tell me so many wonderful stories that, even when he was gone, they lasted in my mind until he returned. It is funny, but do you know what was really hard for me?"

"Nope, tell me."

"Not having a sister," he informed her. "Most of my friends did and I could see the love and devotion reserved for brother and sister, something I personally had no experience with. And that hurted me. I mean, I loved and idolized my two brothers, but a sister would have been something very special for me."

"I know what you mean, I've always wanted a brother to look after me," she said, a bit sorrowfully. "Being an only child isn't easy."

"Then here you have me, sis," he offered, opening his arms.

Jean gave him a short hug as they laughed. "Still, I don't think Ardeth will like it," he said, "he tends to think you belong to him."

"Maybe he wants a sister too," she whispered, going red up to the roots of her hair.

"I don't know about a sister, but he could use a wife," pointed out Tarek, eyeing Jean intently. "If he doesn't get married, then me or my older son would have to lead the Med-jai after him."

"That doesn't seem to bother him." There was a hint of jealousness in her tone that didn't go unnoticed to him.

"I know, and I don't mind either, but a wife would make him happy. And I had all my hopes placed in you." OK, there, he had said it. Ardeth would probably kill him if he knew, but...

Jean's eyes widened and she blushed even more than she had before. "In me?????" She asked in complete amazement.

"Yes, in you. I have noticed the way he looks at you and I have also noticed you enjoy this life very much, so I just put two and two together and the equation was perfect. _You_ would be perfect for him," he pressed.

"But, Tarek, I am engaged and I am not one of you," reasoned Jean.

"None of those things represent a problem."

Well, he was stubborn... 'probably runs in the family,' she mused. "Tarek, I do love your brother, but not enough as to marry him. And I can't just stay here and forget about my life in USA."

"I knew you wouldn't accept, but it was worth the shot. Would you accept being a sister of the Med-jai?"

"That would be an honor."

"Then, my sister, I will escort you to dinner."

He offered his arm to Jean gallantly and she took it. They both went to the table where Ardeth smiled at them, welcomingly. The brief dinner was very animated as they made plans for the next day. When everybody started going to their tents to get some needed rest, Ardeth remained sitting by the fire, watching Jean talk to his grandfather. Tarek approached him.

"Do you need anything, brother?"

"No, Tarek, thank you. You can go to sleep now."

"Good night, Ardeth," he whispered, placing a hand on his brother's arm.

"Sleep well, my brother," replied Ardeth, his eyes never leaving Jean's figure.

***

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


	15. Chapter fifteen

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

After a while, Jean joined him.

Ardeth greeted her with a, "You do not eat enough food. Your future husband will think I mistreated you if you do not eat." She didn't notice him wince a bit at the mention of her fiancé. 

"Brian will think you mistreated me just the same. He is so overbearing," she replied softly.

"He lives with you?"

This time, Jean didn't miss his tone and hurried to answer, "No, no…"

"Well, I believe he won't like to see you go back looking like a sack of bones."

"The women of my country are viewed differently than the women here. It is stylish to have a narrow waist, to fit into all the latest fashions. I have to lose at least 5 kilograms," she stated.

Ardeth's voice dropped to a low rumble. "If you do that, there won't be enough flesh on your body for a man to hold. How can that be pleasing to the men of your country?"

She looked at him, her mouth hanging open, for she had no response to his question. She looked back to the fire in confusion, and then quickly chose not to answer it.

"You are incredible, your grandfather was telling me exactly the same! I mean, that I should eat more."

"He likes you," he said.

"He is a very nice man. But he keeps calling me 'Aiwa Sayadi' and I don't seem to understand what that means."

Ardeth smiled. "It means Desert Rose, and I believe I couldn't have come up with a better name for you myself."

"I see… I like it."

"As I said, it suits you wonderfully." This time, he grinned at her.

"Thank you. But I had never before heard about roses blooming in the desert." 

"Oh, but they do. Not roses like the ones you know, but there's this special flower that only blooms when it rains. Of course, that rarely happens and that's why seeing a 'desert rose' is so cherished," Ardeth explained.

Jean moved closer to him, sensing that a legend was coming. "How lovely! Tell me more," she urged.

Ardeth enjoyed her interest and adopted the position of a father about to tell his daughter a story. Or that of a lover about to recite a love poem to his beloved. You choose. 

"As you wish, Jean. It is believed that they possess magical powers. If you take one and there is purity in your spirit, you can communicate with the virginal life-force that inhabits her heart. Then she will grant you one wish, only asking to be buried next to the other roses in return."

"Why?" Breathed out an utterly fascinated Jean.

"So she can, once again, become part of her adored desert next to her sisters."

She sighed. "Woa. Now I like the name even more. Your grandfather is very kind."

"He took care of us when my parents died, but it was very hard for him…and then, after Oded's death, he turned to me and we became really close. I needed him and he needed me."

The woman sensed it was time for another story. A real, sad one. "How old was Oded when he was killed?" She asked in a whisper.

Ardeth looked at her for a while before answering, "21."

"God…"

The concern in her eyes made him decide to tell her everything. Strangely, he felt the need to talk about it, to bare his soul to her. It was as if she were now a part of him. "It all happened so fast…" he started. "We were trying to stop some thieves from breaking into Saidt-al-Masheer City and one of them took him as a hostage. We were ready to negotiate, but he tried to escape and that bastard ran him through with a sword. He was just a kid, Jean," he said in a slight protest.

He believed in fate, but sometimes he couldn't help but to rebel against it.

Reaching out, she gently caressed his cheek with her palm as tears began to well up in his eyes and running down his cheeks. Tenderly, Jean wiped them from his face with a thumb, her hand laid along the underside of his jaw.

Tentatively, slowly, she took Ardeth's face between her hands and, drawing him closer to her, softly kissed his closed eyelids, her own eyes closing in empathy with an expression equal parts love and anguish.

"What about the man who killed him?" She asked.

"I killed the bastard," he said, with his eyes still closed. "They were running away, but Quicksand did a good job and we reached them in a short while." His eyes snapped open. "I know it is wrong, but I will never forget the pleasure I felt went I ripped his throat."

"It's not wrong. I understand it, Ardeth. I mean, I know I would do the same," she said earnestly.

"It didn't bring Oded back, but my brother died fighting, with honor. The bastard died begging for his life. I took revenge. I had to."

"I know. We are constantly told that we must not seek revenge, but sometimes the settling of scores is all we have." 

That was exactly what he needed, someone to listen to him without being judgmental. How did she always know what he needed? It was a mystery to him, but one that he was beginning to like.

"Exactly. Thank you for listening and not questioning me, Jean."

"Why would I question you? We are more alike than you may even imagine."

"Not many people understand."

"Well I do." She yawned. "We should be getting to bed."

"Yes." He stood up and Jean followed him to the tent.

There, after wishing Ahmad a pleasant night of sleep, they entered and Ardeth took of his robe, to sleep only with his pants on. It surprised her when she saw him without all his robes and she noticed that he had little body hair and none on his chest, and she liked that. He was tall being several inches over six feet and his body was lean with very well defined muscles and his hands were beautiful as they were large with long elegant fingers. His skin was olive which contrasted the black of his hair and beard and the depth of his brown eyes…he was so very opposite from her.

She went on staring at him as he stood in the middle of the tent, facing Jean, making the light provided by the oil lamp show her every line of muscle on his naked torso. His hair fell free across his broad shoulders. Muscles corded his arms and ridged his flat belly like a washboard. The left half of his face was in shadow, making the tattoo on his right cheek stand out in the light. More of the strange protective designs marked his forearms. Another pair had been inked in on his chest, with one more above his navel. Jean couldn't catch her breath. Ardeth Bay looked like some djinn, some sheytan, some dark and powerful spirit of the night.

Oblivious to her stare, Ardeth got in bed as she turned to take off her jewels. She then turned again to see he was lying on the bed watching her.

"Would you please close your eyes while I change?"

"I have seen the female form before," he stated flatly. But there was a mischievous glimpse in his eyes.

"Not this female's form! Close your eyes!" Jean's voice had a touch of amusement.

He laughed and closed his eyes. "Very well."

"Thank you." She quickly changed her clothing and got in bed next to him. His arms claimed possession of her body and embraced it, keeping her close to him.

"Good night Jean."

"Good night Ardeth."

She closed her eyes and fell asleep. Long after that, Ardeth was still awake. He knew it was late in the night, and he knew that he wasn't going to get to sleep anytime soon. That used to happen to him a lot. Mostly, his insomnia had to do with worrying over his duties. But it was worse when he was younger, he used to worry a lot for a man who was 23 years old. He didn't as much anymore, but now he knew that the next day they would have to enter Hamunaptra again and probably face something related to Imhotep. It was one of those nights. 

He remembered how his mother always seemed to think that a piece of dried fruit could fix anything. 

_"Mother, Tarek took one of my toys." _

_"Have a piece of pear, dear." _

_"Mother, I miss my father." _

_"Honey, have a date." _

_"Mother, I don't know how to deal with all my responsibilities as a Med-jai leader." _

_"Here, dear, have some dried apple." _

_"Mother, the Earth is being sucked into a black hole." _

_"Here's a piece of proom,_ _sweetie. Want some coffee?"_ You get the picture. 

Only that this was the first night that he was glad to have insomnia. That was because Jean was between his arms and he could watch her sleep. One of his hands slid towards her waist and there found the perfect place to rest; it was like her body and his were made to be together. He looked at her soft full lips and wondered what it would be like to kiss her; she surely tasted very fresh and sweet.

"Please, Allah, help me get rid of these thoughts," he prayed. 

Then Jean stirred a bit and smiled in her sleep and he became conscious of how much she had to trust him as to sleep with him, as to let him hold her during the night. She opened her eyes.

"Why can't you sleep?" She asked.

"I was thinking about tomorrow."

"Worried, huh?"

"Yes…"

Her eyes met his. "We can make it through anything, Ardeth," she reassured him.

"You can be harmed. And I care about you."

"Shhhh…" She began stroking his hair. "Forget about it now, we will face whatever we have to face tomorrow."

She went on stroking his hair. Ardeth's silent pleasure reminded her of the way a cat might enjoy being petted. That thought made her smile. He was no mere pet, this lord of the Med-Jai. Then she looked into his eyes and saw so many things that made her pull him even closer to her.

Slowly she leaned forward until their lips touched, gently and sweetly, unsure of his reaction. For a few seconds, he honestly expected it to be a dream, but to his surprise, it wasn't and she was holding him as close as he was holding her. The sensation of actually doing what he had imagined just a few minutes ago was overwhelming: her touch, her scent, her warmth all surrounded him. 

And then it was over. Jean gently broke the kiss, and looked into his eyes again.

"Sleep now, Ardeth. Good night."

He was astounded, but managed to wish her sweet dreams and watched her fall asleep again. He could still feel her lips on his and her taste as he cuddled her and got ready to sleep.

"You have won my heart, Jean Marquet." He whispered and then waited for Morpheus to take him into his realm.

***

So, the first kiss!!!!!!!!! AWWWW... how sweet!!!! Bet you want more. LOL. More action in the next chappie!!!!

To my faithful reviewers Lula, Ruth, soul, Dead-Girls-Watch, Cindy, Deana: thanks infinitely for your support throughout this fic. I can't believe I've got more than 50 reviews!!!!!! And I owe it all to you.


	16. Chapter sixteen

CHAPTER SIXTEEN 

The following morning, Ardeth woke up and left the tent. His mind was set on the probable battle ahead. His turban back on his head, his weapons secure at his waist and across his chest. He was going to organize the things they needed for their Hamunaptra ride and then, just then, he would awake Jean and they would start their 'adventure'.

When he thought about her, he realized that never would he find another woman like Jean, he knew she was his heart and soul and the warmth of her body against his had made the chief feel invincible. 

Jean got up right after him, put on some comfortable clothes and went to the Nile. She watched the water pass and thought how much she loved the Nile and that country. She dipped her hand into the clear, bracing waters of the river and splashed her face. Ardeth was watching her from a distance.

Suddenly a memory entered her mind, and it felt like it would rip it apart. Letting out a cry equal parts frustration, confusion and anguish, she stumbled to her knees, a strangled sob escaping her throat underneath a sky too bright even to notice her torment. Suddenly drained, she slumped, her shoulders sagging; her head bowed as tears of emotional distress ran down her face and her body was wracked with sobs. She raised a tear-streaked face as she felt a shadow fall across her. 

"Jean," Ardeth was looking at her, his hand stretched out to her, concern etched on his face. Wordlessly, she threw herself into his arms and wept as he held her tightly to his chest, her tears dampening the fabric of his robe. "What's wrong?" he asked, but she gave no answer, save to hold onto him more tightly, her sobs muffled by his body. 

She clearly wasn't going to speak to him any time soon, and Ardeth felt that Jean would be more comfortable in her own tent, not to mention shielded from the indignity of his men's prying eyes. Murmuring comforting words into her hair, he gathered her unresisting body into his arms and lifted her, walking towards the tent. A moment later, they arrived and he carried Jean through to her bed. 

Once she was there, Jean could see the concern on his face and suddenly felt silly for letting him see her cry without a tangible reason and looked away.

Ardeth reached out to cup her face, bringing it back to him. "Please, Jean, tell me what's wrong," he pleaded.

She wiped away her tears and smiled. "I just…the water…Nefertiti was splashing her face with some water when she saw Anck-su-namun and Imhotep kiss and then she saw when she murdered her father. It was Nefertiti the one who alerted the guards." She gazed into his eyes, trying to put on a brave front.

Ardeth saw the effort she was making to be strong and he had an overwhelming desire to hold her in his arms. Neither one of them said a word but they could both feel the electricity in the air between them. Ardeth moved his thumb to her mouth, lightly stroking her lips.

"So you cried for her."

"It's like she cried through me. She never had a chance to do that. In blind desperation to help her father, she jumped from the balcony; she was killed instantly."

"The Pharaoh's men suspected she had been murdered."

"No, she wasn't. She just…jumped."

"For her father…"

"Yes, she loved him very much."

Ardeth nodded. "Perhaps we should wait to go to Hamunaptra," he offered.

"No, we must go today. Tomorrow can be too late. I will be ready in a minute. Go and set things. I'll meet you outside," she said resolutely.

Ardeth obeyed and prepared the horses. Jean joined him and so did the other warriors. They all mounted, he gave the signal and they rode off towards Hamunaptra. Some time later they arrived hilltop. Ardeth sat uneasily on his restless black Arabian stallion upon it. Reaching down he patted his horse gently, mumbling soft, soothing words in Arabic until the horse stilled. All the horses were jittery that day. That made the Med-jai warriors nervous. Something was not right. The horses sensed something and the Med-jai warriors learned long ago to trust their horse's instincts.

For the past years, the ruins of Hamunaptra had lay in peace. And although Imhotep had never been awoken, the Med-jai never gave up their vigil over the City of the Dead. Keeping treasure seekers away was still their main focus, though not many had come around recently. Then suddenly, that morning, mysterious winds were blowing, whipping the sand around in an unnatural way. That was not a good sign.

"_So, it must be about to begin_." Ardeth breathed softly in Arabic as he, Jean and his men continued to watch over the buried city. They were a small group, only the Chieftain, her, Tarek and seven other warriors. Her horse, Diamond was also nervous and after hearing Ardeth's words she turned to them.

"We must enter. Today is the day." Jean could sense the evil emanating from the area.

The men obeyed her and they all rushed into the city.

The hall they were walking down opened into a wide amphitheatre, intricately carved from obsidian. The jet black walls and floors shone like polished smoky glass reflecting and distorting the dimensions, like the crazy mirrors at a fairground. A large stone sarcophagus containing the mummy of Imhotep took center stage. The priests were gathered in a circle around it. Their dark robes merged with their surroundings. Large fiery torches dimly illuminated the room, the light flickering and playing with the shadows, adding to the disorientation. Jean had to blink several times before her eyes adjusted to the strangeness of it all. 

"Why do I feel those priests have not done what you ordered, my brother?" Asked Tarek.

The main priest was holding the Book of the Dead and was speaking an incantation from it in Ancient Egyptian. 

" I call upon the Dark One, according to the ancient covenant, give us the presence of the one that I name… Imhotep… Imhotep… Imhotep!"

_"Stop that at once,"_ ordered Ardeth.

_"It is too late,"_ answered one of the worshippers, _"look!"_

They all stared as a form took the shape of Imhotep. 

_"I told you to leave or die,"_ said Ardeth to the cultists, _"you refused. Now you may have killed us all. You have unleashed the creature that we have feared for more than 3,000 years…"_

Ardeth stopped talking as Imhotep opened his eyes and stepped out of the water. They could smell the decaying odor of his body, or what was left of it. The sight was really revolting and it made Jean look down, while Tarek took a few steps back.

Ardeth grabbed Jean and pushed her behind him to protect her. The worshippers fell to their knees and Imhotep opened his arms; a struck of lightning hit them and they were killed instantly. But what was more amazing was how his body became fully regenerated after that. 

'All those people... their life forces must have restored him,' thought Jean. "So much for dealing with the devil and ending up burnt," she murmured to Ardeth. 

He gave her a faint smile as Imhotep turned to them. He advanced up to her, and Ardeth moved to intercept him. Imhotep glanced at him then back to her, while a look of understanding crossed his face.

_"It is always a beautiful woman who brings down the strongest man. You have me in your power."_

The two of them realized that when he took possession the cultists' souls, he also sucked up his knowledge… and language. A wave of dizziness made Jean grasp Ardeth's arm as something in her mind seemed to click.

"Did this…thing speak in Arabic?" She asked, trembling with fear.

"Yes, Jean. Why?"

_"Because… I… I understood what he said." _

"Allah…"

As the two of them stared at each other in astonishment, Imhotep watched the man intently. He was clad in long, black robes, with a scimitar at his side. This one was a true warrior spirit, intelligence and dedication alike shining in his eyes. His posture indicated a sensible caution, but no fear. A good ally to have, and a dangerous enemy. He looked at the tattoo patterns on his cheeks and the back of his hands.

_"Med-jai!"_ he spat the word out as if it tasted bad. They had been Pharaoh's personal guards- was it possible that they had survived this long? Yes, apparently they dad. _"You must die!"_ He shouted.

Ardeth was distracted by a sound coming from behind and Imhotep saw his chance, knocked him to the ground, turned towards the black waters and spoke an incantation. Multitudes of souls from hell rose up out of the waters, taking form and substance.

Ardeth spoke in a very low voice as he got up from the hard floor. "These souls have become his slaves. So it has begun, the beginning of the end."

"Not quite yet, it hasn't," answered Jean, assuming a defensive position. 

The souls attacked them, and Jean grabbed the scimitar Ardeth had given her to defend herself. While they were fighting, Imhotep ran to the Book of the Dead that had fallen from the vanquished priest's hold and frantically looked for an incantation. She realized Imhotep was at the book and ran towards him, but not in time. Imhotep spoke.

"For all eternity, now it's begun, forces of dark, chain us as one!"

As Jean reached Imhotep, he spoke the last words. She cried out in pain and fell to her knees as she felt a terrible wrenching inside. Ardeth rushed to Jean's side and helped her up.

"What has happened?" He asked

"He just bonded me to him. If he dies, so do I." She turned to the Med-jai "Just keep your guns and swords on him. And if he tries anything, kill him."

"No…" protested Tarek, "it would hurt you"

"It's the only way to keep him in line."

Imhotep stood up and turned back to Jean.

_"You and I are one. If I die, you shall die also."_

_"I'm not afraid to die. If you try to kill them, they will attack you," she retorted fiercely._

_"You are as brave as you are beautiful. I shall let you leave now."_

Ardeth narrowed his eyes and glared at Imhotep as Jean considered his offer.

"Ardeth," whispered Jean, "we need to leave this place. Leave him alone."

"Why on earth would we do such thing?"

"We will need all the help we can get. His powers are growing."

"Jean is right, brother. Live today, fight tomorrow." Tarek backed Jean up.

"OK." said Ardeth reluctantly.

_"We will be back, Imhotep."_

_"And I will be waiting for you."_

They all went outside and Tarek went to his brother.

"I will take five men to deliver the news about Imhotep, you will go back to the camp and take care of Jean, right?

"With my life. Go back to the camp soon. We will attack tomorrow."

***

HI EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!! Again, thanx a lot for the lovely reviews!!!!!!! You'll notice that in this chapter I've changed the entire story on the 'restoration' of Imhotep's body, but well, I had to simplify some things. And I must apologize, I know this isn't one of the best chapters I've written but I'm studying for my organic chemistry and anatomy exams and I have barely even time to breathe.

Still, I hope you'll enjoy it.

Love, Jeanne.


	17. Chapter seventeen

AN: Hey everyone!!!!!! I'm sorry it has taken me so long to update but college's been keeping me busy. Quite busy in fact. I had a Chemistry exam last week (I think I did well), and Anatomy one yesterday in which I got 100/100 (I'm still doing my very own happy dance) and tomorrow I have the statistics midterm. God, I hate the subject.

Well, enough rambling. It's time for the action.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Back in the camp, Jean and Ardeth had dinner by themselves in silence. Tarek and the other warriors arrived and went to them.

"The other eleven tribes will know the news soon. Tomorrow, we will all go to Hamunaptra," informed the younger brother.

"Good. You can all go to rest," answered Ardeth gravely.

"Thank you, brother. Good night Jean." Tarek greeted. The rest of the men bowed and left to their tents.

"Why did those priests awaken him?" Asked the woman, bringing Ardeth out of his silent reverie.

"Well, we were told that some tribes have pledged allegiance to a demon. They no longer follow Allah, but Lillith. They call her by a different name - an ancient one and she has other names in other religions - but it is the same demon."

"Who is Lillith?"

"In Islamic beliefs, Lillith is the demon of the night. Along with her evil offspring, the djinns, she haunts the desert and the ruins and lonely streets particularly on stormy nights," he said, matter-of-factly.

Jean was confused. "And what does it have to do with Imhotep?"

"Evil brings evil. That Englishman must have convinced them that Imhotep was more worthy than Lillith. Why did he let us go Jean?" He asked anxiously.

"He must be waiting for his powers to be fully restored before battling us," she said and shrugged.

"I fear he may try to hurt you," confessed Ardeth.

"Imhotep won't try anything, Ardeth. We're bonded together, remember?"

"Constantly," he said with great affliction. "What does it feel like, this bonding?"

"It's difficult to explain. It's like an invisible rope is tied to my insides and pulling me towards him. No matter which way I move, I know exactly where he is," she whispered wearily.

He had a sudden idea. "If you can feel his pain, can you feel anything else? Perhaps what he is thinking?"

"No, I can't read his mind. But I can feel his emotions, almost 'see' them in my mind. It's extremely tiring."

"Then you must go to sleep. I will go with you."

He took her hand and led her into her tent. Without even changing, she got in bed and looked at Ardeth.

"Won't you join me?"

"No, I will guard," he replied shortly.

"Come here," she made some room for him in bed, "you can guard from here."

Reluctantly, he got in bed next to her and took her hand.

"Try to sleep, Jean."

Obediently, she closed her eyes and slowly fell asleep. A few hours later, Ardeth suddenly sat up and awakened Jean.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Something is not right," he whispered, his voice filled with apprehension.

They both happened to look around on the ground and noticed they were circled by a ring of yellow-tailed scorpions.

"Oh boy…" Said Jean completely terrified.

"Stay very still. Their poison can kill a man within minutes."

Ardeth reached to the other side of the bed for one of his scimitars and his hand stopped as he saw a couple of scorpions on them.

"Imhotep may have let us go, but this is his doing," he stated as he looked around frantically, trying to find a way out.

"But why would he want to kill us?"

"Not us, just me."

She swallowed hard. "So what do we do?"

"You will stay put and not move until I get back."

"Are you going somewhere?"

Without answering, Ardeth grabbed the large cushion they had been using as a pillow, threw it on top of some of the scorpions and, using the cushion as a stepping-stone, leapt from the bed and out of the tent. 

"Is anything wrong, Master?" Asked Ahmad who was outside.

"Nothing, just stay here."

He ran to the rocks by the fire, grabbed an unlit torch, and lit it in the dying embers. He then entered the tent and saw the scorpions slowly moving towards Jean. She was in panic.

"Ardeth, do something quick!"

He realized he couldn't torch the bed, so he torched the scorpions on his scimitars. When they were dead, he threw away the torch, grabbed his scimitar and hacked the scorpions, carefully avoiding hitting Jean, until they were all dead.

"Are you alright?" He asked, rushing to her side.

"Yes," she answered shakily.

"I should never have let my guard down."

"He would've tried something whether you were keeping watch or not."

"There is no excuse for the leader of the Med-jai," he retorted sternly.

"Oh, that's right, I forgot. You're not supposed to be human."

"You do not understand." He looked at her for a moment. "I was on the verge of losing you this time, I will never let such thing happen again." With those words, he left the tent to wake his men.

When he was gone, Jean got up and looked at her reflection on the mirror. Suddenly, she heard the tent-flap open. 

"Ardeth…"

Jean saw Imhotep behind her, but before she could cry out a warning, he rushed in, backhanded her across the face and knocked her out. He grimaced at the pain he caused himself, shrugged it off and carried Jean out of the tent. He slung her over his horse, mounted and rode off into the night. 

Ardeth sensed something wrong and went back to the tent.

"Jean?"

Ardeth looked inside the tent and gasped in horror when he realized she was not inside it. He rushed out, calling an alarm and awakening the warriors to ride.

***

Wow, so things get more complicated. Don't kill me and continue reviewing as you, so lovely have been (thanks to infinity for that).

Love, Jeanne. 


	18. Chapter eighteen

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Ardeth led twenty men of his Med-jai tribe across the desert, following a very faint trail left by Imhotep's horse. He had decided to leave immediately, only with half of his men, fearing for Jean's safety. They were honored that their Chieftain had chosen them for this journey and they would serve and protect him well. His men admired Ardeth Bay for his wisdom and his bravery and would gladly give their lives for him. One warrior spoke to Ardeth.

_"You realize where he's headed?"_

_"Yes. You go back to Hamunaptra and show the rest of the tribe the way to the Valley of the Kings. The rest of you, follow me."_

They rode for a while longer, and then had to stop to rest the horses. It was still dark and Ardeth was dying out of concern over Jean. He stood beneath the moon and stars and for the first time, he did not even notice that they were there. His thoughts were on Jean as he looked out into the night. He breathed deeply of the cool desert air and wondered if Jean was warm. She got cold easily, he remembered. His jaw clenched as he thought of her under Imhotep's control. If he had so much as put a mark on her lovely skin, Ardeth would kill him.

"Hang on, Jean," Ardeth whispered into the night. "I promise you, kalila, that I will not rest until you are safe in my arms again." His heart pounded in his chest as he whispered his promise, a light breeze carrying his words and his scent out into the night to deliver them to the woman who owned his heart.

***

By dawn, Imhotep and Jean went riding into the Valley of the Kings. She was sitting in front of him, awake, and very pissed off.

"The Valley of the Kings? What are we doing here?" She asked herself as they rode by the ancient tombs. 

Jean was desperately trying to figure out what Imhotep meant to do. Then she realized he wanted to wake up his army.

'Oh my God. Ardeth, Tarek, hurry!'

_"They will not get here in time,"_ said Imhotep, not understanding her words, but guessing their meaning.

He stopped in front of one of the tomb entrances, dragged Jean off the horse and tied her to a stone pillar at the entrance. He spoke an incantation to remove the stone that covered the entrance and started to go in.

_"Are you going to just leave me out here in the sun?"_ Jean asked.

_"I'll be back for you shortly."_

He gagged her and disappeared into the tomb. Then, he entered a small treasure room filled with sarcophagus. He started preparing everything for the ritual that would awaken the mummies. 

***

Ardeth led his Med-jai into the valley. They went slowly and quietly, constantly looking for signs of Jean or Imhotep. They rode by many tombs. There was an eerie silence as they went forward. Ardeth suddenly put up his hand to halt the group. He could see Jean gagged and tied to a pillar. She saw him and frantically shook her head, trying to get them to stay away. Ardeth and his men dismounted and walked up to Jean. He removed her gag and caressed her face as he whispered to her.

"Are you hurt?"

"No. But you have to get out of here! It's a trap!" She warned.

"I am going to untie you and then I want you to get on this horse and ride out of here as quickly as you can…"

Suddenly, a multitude of mummies emerged from the tomb, from behind rocks and pillars and attacked the men. 

"Who are they?" Shouted Ardeth.

"His servants, I think, but not his priests. Ardeth, be careful of their weapons! Don't let the blades touch you. They're poisonous!"

It always marveled Jean how she knew things without knowing how she did as a fierce battle ensued, for however many mummies the warriors cut down, there were more to replace them. 

When the mummy's weapon cut one of the warriors, the poison sept into the wound, killing him within 5 seconds. Smoke arose from the blackened wound on the corpse of the Medjai. That taught the warriors to be wary of the poisonous blades, which made killing the mummies even more difficult. Imhotep came out of the tomb and spoke.

_"Drop your weapons or they will destroy you."_

Seeing they had no chance of defeating them, Ardeth decided to work out a different strategy. He put down his scimitar and motioned the others to do the same. Imhotep walked up to him.

_"You should not have followed me. But I knew you would. Now my ancient foes will finally be destroyed forever." _

_"No! Leave them alone! You have me, you don't need them,"_ shouted Jean desperately.

_"But I do need them. I need their bodies to regenerate the priests buried in this valley. Bring the prisoners inside!"_ Commanded Imhotep.

The mummies herd the prisoners inside. Imhotep untied Jean and dragged her inside along with the others. After they all were inside, Imhotep brought Jean to a statue and tied her up. Ardeth was also tied to a statue. The other mummies each held on to a Med-jai warrior. Imhotep selected Tarek and the mummies took him to the sacrificial table. Imhotep stepped up to Ardeth.

_"You, as their leader, shall watch the others fall first."_

Imhotep returned to the table. The mummies held the Med-jai down on the table. He didn't say a word, ready to die fighting while Ardeth was frantically trying to untie himself. He would not lose another brother. Imhotep raised a long knife above his head, spoke an incantation but was stopped by Jean's voice.

_"You don't have to kill them. I can help you regenerate the rest of your warriors without killing the Med-jai!" _She announced with urgency.__

Imhotep turned to her, eyeing her suspiciously._ "And what would I win by that?"_

_"You would have a much bigger army in less time."_

"Jean, what are you doing?" Asked Ardeth.

"Saving Tarek's life," she simply stated.

"Jean, don't do that, that's exactly what he wants, don't give in….!" Shouted Tarek from the sacrificial table. 

"That's the only thing to do! I'm sorry, but I won't let anybody die if I can help it."

Imhotep crossed up to Jean and cupped her face in his hands.

_"If it is true, you and I will rule this land together. You, beautiful woman, will be Anck-su-namun's body and will give me a son," _he said looking deeply into Jean's eyes.

_"You sick bastard!"_ Yelled Ardeth after hearing that _"You're not going to touch her and live to tell it!" _

Imhotep looked at Ardeth and then kissed Jean, whose resistance was useless. Ardeth was more than furious and swore to make Imhotep pay for that.

Imhotep broke the kiss. _"But if you are lying, you and your friends will die. Release the warrior,"_ he ordered to his mummies.

They let Tarek go and tied him by Ardeth's side. Imhotep looked at them and untied Jean in order to take her with him. Ardeth was furious and struggled against his bonds. He accidentally cut his hand on the statue. He found the sharp edge and begun to saw through the ropes that bonded his hands. Imhotep laughed and took Jean with him inside the tomb, leaving the warriors tied.

"I am almost free," announced Ardeth.

He finally broke through the ropes that bonded and crossed over to Tarek and untied him quickly.

"Are you all right?" Asked the younger brother.

"Yes, let's just untie the rest and find Jean."

They did that in great hurry and then walked up to the tomb that Imhotep was using. Ardeth heard noises outside and knew that the rest of the Med-jai had arrived. They entered and found his Chieftain.

_"Are you all here?"_

_"Yes sir. The twelve tribes. We sum up to 982."_

_"Good, now remember that until Jean and Imhotep are separated, you cannot harm one without harming the other." _

It took them a while to organize the men, but finally they all headed down into the hole and quickly made their way to the chamber where Imhotep was holding Jean as a hostage. He heard Jean sigh in relief and looked at her, noticing the red mark in her arm for the first time.

_"You are one of them!"_

_"I guess so…" _She said shrugging.__

_"You lied to me. You cannot give me a son. You must die for this!"_ He raged.__

The Med-jai advanced and Ardeth spoke. _"Touch her and you die,"_ was the cold threat.

Imhotep laughed and all of a sudden they were surrounded by more than 2000 mummies.

'Imhotep's new army,' thought Ardeth, 'so Jean has succeeded in waking them.'

She broke free from Imhotep and ran to him.

"Are your Medjai ready? We've got to get the black book away from him before he causes God knows what other kinds of trouble." 

"Yes. Then I suggest we 'get the hell out of here'?"

"You got it."

At Ardeth's signal the Med jai, attacked the mummies. Imhotep had expected this and his army fought almost as well as the Medjai. Suddenly, Tarek took the Book of the Dead and ran towards the exit. 

Imhotep realized his odds weren't great and decided that it was time for some drastic measures. With a blessing from his curse, he was master of the sands. He began to shrink and change until he was no more substantial than a single grain. The evening breeze was picking up. He felt it lift him and carry him spinning across the Sahara, taking Jean with him.

"Jean!" Ardeth couldn't do anything to stop him, nor did any of the bewildered warriors. 

The sandstorm ended as swiftly as it had began and he stumbled to his knees, whispering her name. Tarek entered after having secured the Book and went to him.

"What happened?" He asked, looking around in utter puzzlement.

"He has taken her back to Hamunaptra, Tarek, I am sure."

"Then we will follow them and pray that it's not too late." 

Hastily, the warriors mounted on their horses and took the path that had taken them there not too long ago. Ardeth's horse galloped ahead and the warriors followed trying to keep up with the stealth and speed of the Med-jai leader. They knew he, again, feared for Jean's life.


	19. Chapter nineteen

AN: well, well, well, we are approaching the closing stages of the action part but, don't worry, there's plenty of story ahead, only that with a more... hummmm... romantic twist. Again, I'd like to thank all of you who have taken the time to read and review this story, you guys are incredible!!!!!!!!!!!!

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Jean slowly began to regain consciousness. She peeked opened her eyes and found herself lying on a cold stone floor. Her hands were tied and after testing the rope, discovered it was on tight. Pushing herself into a sitting position, she looked around where she was. It was a large chamber, like a huge arena. She saw a stone staircase that led up to some passageway and in the middle of the chamber was a huge alter. Beyond the altar, Jean saw what looked like a moat that floated through the chamber. But instead of water floating through, it was a black mucky tar looking substance that had human bones floating in it.

"Gross," she said, wrinkling up her nose. 

Imhotep was there as well, but he ignored her, as he seemed to be preparing some things, arranging several strange-looking objects around her. She didn't like what was going on and all she could hope was Ardeth hurrying to rescue her.

***

The warriors rode hard and persistently until they reached the City of Dead. Ardeth dismounted and his men did the same, in order to follow him inside one of the main chambers.

He was there, and so was Jean. She was lying on top of a stone floor next to a fire. Placed at her sides there where five canopy jars and Ardeth knew what Imhotep wanted to do. He would kill her and trade her soul for his lover's one, which would inhabit Jean's body.

"Ardeth…" She was frightened and he could tell she was extremely happy to see them by the tears in her lovely eyes. This caught him by surprise. He'd never seen look so vulnerable and beautiful before. But what surprised him even more was why in the name of Allah was he noticing that now?

"Don't worry, habibi, I am here now. I won't let him harm you," he reassured her before turning to Imhotep. _"Let go of her!" _He commanded.__

_"It took you long to follow me, Medjai,"_ said the Keeper of the Dead with a smirk. _"Your woman will now become mine."_

_"No, she won't." _Tarek charged against Imhotep, distracting him long enough for Ardeth to help Jean break free from the ropes that tied her wrists and ankles.

As they watched what he did, a thought flashed through Jean's mind. 

"Ardeth, in order to stop Imhotep we don't just need the keep him away from the Book of the Dead..."

"We need the Book of Amun Ra too!" He completed. "Where is it?"

"In that black pool over there." Jean said suddenly. "I know it."

"That is the pool of the Underworld," stated Ardeth, looking taken aback.

She shrugged. "So?"

"It is put there to be protected. If you try to pull it out, the evil spirits may drag you down with them!" He said with great urgency.

But Jean was truly set on her path. "I don't care. I will go!"

"No! Anck-su-namun's soul is there too and she will kill you before letting you take the book that will send her lover back to… "

And before Ardeth realized, she ran to the pool. She pulled up her sleeve and reached in. Just as she had grabbed it and was bringing it up, a hand from under the water grasped her wrist and tried to pull her inside. Jean yelped in surprise as countless more hands did the same, almost making her plunge into the dark pool. 

Muttering a most unladylike expletive that made Ardeth's eyes widen, she kept fighting, as she was determined to succeed. As she focused entirely on gathering all her strength, a white flash of light fell from the sky and freed her from the grip of the vengeful forces. Shocked, Jean got up, with the book pressed to her chest. When she turned, she found Imhotep grabbing Ardeth from behind, holding him and ready to run a sword through him.

_"And so, my ancient foe shall die."_

_"No!"_ Shouted Jean.

As Imhotep stroked, she dropped the book and ran towards Ardeth, twisting him out of Imhotep's grasp. The sword went through her chest. Ardeth punched the man, turned and pulled the sword out of Jean. Imhotep was bleeding heavily as he dropped to the ground. She clutched her chest as blood started pouring out of her identical wound. She collapsed.

"Jean…!" Screamed Ardeth.

The Medjai were staring at Jean, surprised by the turn of events. Ardeth, who was on the ground with Jean, whispered to her.

"Jean, why did you do this? Oh, Allah…"

"I need the book," she said in a faint whisper.

"Just stay down," was his reply. It sounded more like a command. A command Jean chose to ignore. She didn't have much time left.

She began crawling towards the Amun Ra Book and so did Imhotep. Jean reached it before him, but it was closed and she didn't have the key. She realized it was a good moment for praying. 

' Please, someone help me,' she said inwardly.

As by enchantment, the book opened itself right on the page of the spell she needed. 

Panic overtook her as she realized she had no idea what the hieroglyphics meant, but somehow, she knew exactly what she had to say.

"The chain that binds the body and heart…"

_"No!"_ Was Imhotep's scream.

"Forces of light, tear it apart!"

Another terrible wrenching brought cries of pain from the impaled victims. They were no longer bonded but still dying from the wounds. Imhotep reached Jean and begun to strangle her.

_"I will take you with me!"_

Ardeth knocked her attacker to the ground and pulled him off of Jean. She was slowly losing consciousness. Ardeth shook her to keep her awake.

"Fight Jean! Fight for your life!"

Imhotep, a bloody mess, sword in hand, got up. Jean saw him come up from behind Ardeth.

"Ardeth, behind you!"

He turned around and Imhotep knocked him aside. With the last of his strength, Imhotep raised the sword over her head to finish off Jean. She opened her eyes.

_"And now, we die!"_

Jean, with her last breath, spoke the death incantation from the Amun Ra book that sprung from her unconscious.

"To the Dark One I call, receive back into your care …Imhotep …Imhotep …Imhotep!"

He froze as if struck by lightening and dissolved into dust, which was blown away by the wind. Jean cried out in terrible pain as that wind lifted her body and sent it flying outside the city at such a speed she soon fainted.

Ardeth tried to run after her, but everyone was knocked to the ground as the earth began shaking, the wind howling and all of the stones rolling themselves back in front of the entrances to the various tombs. The wind died down and the earth was then still. The men slowly picked themselves up off of the ground. 

"Jean? Where is she?" Asked Ardeth in panic, getting up.

"I don't know, brother," said Tarek, looking equally worried.

"We need to find her, she won't last for too long in the desert, injured as she was." 

The two brothers rushed outside. Some of the men had already left the cave and were preparing the horses. 

" Tarek, you and Kasim choose five more warriors and follow me. Tell the others we will ride North," he ordered.

"Why in that direction?"

"I know she is out there somewhere, I can hear her heart calling out for me." 

The younger brother nodded and in less than ten minutes they were racing into the desert. Ardeth was following his intuition, which had never failed him. 

But after eleven hours of search, he started to lose his hopes. 

_"I know you are near, Jean, I can feel you. But I need you to guide me, my angel."_


	20. Chapter twenty

AN: Hello everyone! Here I am, bringing you another chapter I enjoyed a lot while writing it. Since midterms period's gone (and I've passed all my exams with very good grades) I can devote all my time to writing; isn't that bliss?????

Anyway, as usual, thanks immensely for your reviews. One of my readers has brought up an interesting issue I'd like to expand a bit. At the very end of last chapter, Ardeth refers to Jean as his 'angel'. I don't think the belief in angels is and actual part of the Arab religion, but the way in which I show Ardeth is as a man of education, so it occurred to me that he could be familiar with the concept and use it under those circumstances. 

Now, without further due, I leave you with the story.

CHAPTER TWENTY

He didn't know which one of the Highest Powers had been touched by his plea, but something made him turn around. About three hundred meters away he could make out a flaccid silhouette on the ground. He spurred Quicksand and went towards it. It was Jean.

He let himself fall to the ground next to her and crawled over to Jean's still form. Her eyes were closed and she didn't appear to be breathing. He held her to him and spoke to her limp form.

"I am so sorry I failed you."

She stirred and he looked down at her as she opened her eyes.

"You live!"

"Just barely," she whispered.

"Just breathe, _habibi_, keep breathing."

She smiled and, unexpectedly, just stayed quiet. Her eyes closed. She was weak, and waited for the darkness to close in on her. 

Ardeth pressed his ear against her chest, relieved to hear her heart was still beating. "Will she be ok?" He asked softly, looking down at her. 

"She needs to get some medical treatment quickly," Tarek said. 

_"The closest town is Cairo, but she would never make it…"_ Kasim added, indifferently.

_"Our tribe," _Ardeth said,_ "we can take care of her there. It is less than half a day away if we move quickly. It is the only thing we can do." _

Tarek nodded._ "Vosloo, send a message ahead, tell my grandfather and Ahmad to get the medical instruments ready." _

Ardeth gently picked her up._ "How many wounded warriors do we have?"_

_"When we left, there weren't many. The worst seems to be her." _Tarek said, pointing to the limp woman in his arms.__

Ardeth nodded and carried Jean to where Quicksand was waiting. He mounted and yelled out a command to his men, and they rode off. They rode quickly into the night, pushing the horses and much as they could, without killing the animals. On Kasim's urging, they finally took a break. It had to be sometime around mid-night. One of the Med-jai took Jean as Ardeth climbed down, his legs turning to jelly under his weight. He fell to his knees with a grunt, and Tarek came running to his side.

_"Are you alright, brother?" _He asked, dropping to one knee next to him.

_"I am just a little weak." _He said with a sigh_, "I have not given myself the proper rest I need."_

_"Then you sleep, one of us can carry Jean while you do…" _Suggested Tarek.

_"No. I will take her, where is she?" _He asked, looking around frantically.

_"One of our men took her, I think he laid her on a blanket just over…there," _pointed the younger brother.__

"I must go to her…," he said, standing, his legs still weak. 

Tarek sighed at his relentless attitude. He stood as well, placing an arm around his waist, in effort to keep him from falling. He led him to where Jean lay, unconscious, on a blanket. He dropped to his knees once more, and he went down with him, but then left his brother alone with Jean. He knew he needed some privacy. 

Ardeth was so lost in his thoughts that he barely noticed that Ahmad had joined them. He had left the camp in desperation, for he needed to see Jean. Besides, he was the only one with medical knowledge, for his father had been the doctor of the tribe and had taught him many things before dying. He leaned to check over the woman. She had lost some more blood, and it was soaked through the bandages and her shirt. 

After a few minutes of examining her, the boy looked at his Chieftain. _"The sword went through the muscle, missing any arteries or bones. It was the long exposure to the sun which I hold responsible for her unconsciousness."_

"Will she make it?" Ardeth's tone was almost of begging.

"She is not doing very well," sentenced the young man. "She has lost a great amount of blood and is dehydrated. She needs to get to the camp as soon as possible. I will take better care of her there." There was deep sorrow in his voice.

The leader thanked him and went to his brother who was looking at them from a distance.

"Jean will be fine, Ardeth. Don't lose your hopes." Tarek placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you, Tarek." He tried his best to smile, but it didn't turn out right.

"Are you ok?" He asked, looking at his brother in alarm. 

"I am fine, just very tired. And I don't want to lose Jean... she is very weak. Ahmad is doing all he can for her, but I fear it won't be enough." He looked so old when he said that. Like he was talking about his dying wife of 40 years.

Tarek tried to make him focus on something else. "I understand your pain, brother, but this is not how a Med-jai leader conducts himself! Your duty is to the people and you know that." 

"Are you questioning my ability to protect my people Tarek?" Asked Ardeth, his voice dropping to a dangerous hiss.

Tarek lowered his voice. "No I am not but you are my brother, my friend and my everything. I can not let you destroy yourself over a woman."

"But she is no ordinary woman."

"I know. You won't lose her. We won't lose Jean and if you go in thinking we will, then I don't want you anywhere near her. I need the man who loves her right now, but I need you cold, hard and focused."

Ardeth just nodded. A while later, they mounted and rode until they reached the camp and they saw the Med-jai were waiting for them. They all looked sadly at their Chieftain holding the limp body of the woman that had come to save them from Imhotep. Ahmed had prepared Jean's tent with everything that could be necessary to take care of her wound. Ardeth laid her in bed and Ahmad followed them.

"It would be better if you left us alone, sir…" recommended him. 

Ardeth shot him a murderous glance. "Tell me, Ahmad, why exactly would I do such thing?"

"There will be a lot of blood," stated the boy, not flinching under his gaze.

The Chieftain shrugged. "I have seen blood before."

"This is Jean's blood, master," was Ahmad's whisper.

Ardeth left the tent promptly. Ahmad smiled ever so briefly and with a heavy sigh began taking care of Jean's deep wound. He worked efficiently, but due to the gentle way in which he treated her, the job took him more than two hours.

During that period, Ardeth paced outside the tent in great impatience. All his men, even the ones of his family, didn't dare to come anywhere near him, for he had such a fierce look in his eyes that could have turned the bravest man in the universe into a coward.

_"Why her, Allah?"_ Ardeth said to the sky and kept waiting, his agony growing with every second.

When the young man left the tent, he was surrounded by the entire tribe, all of them full of concern over Jean's health.

_"I have done my best," _he informed,_ "now Allah has to decide if he lets her come back to us. Ardeth, sir, you can come in if you want to."_

Without a word, the Chieftain followed him inside and kneeled by Jean's side. She seemed to be sleeping peacefully, the only sign of her previous battle was how pale her face was, but still, her cheeks were red as a result of the fever that was threatening to burn her body. With her flushed face and her hair a wild tangle over the cushion she was using as a pillow, Ardeth thought she was the most exquisite creature he had ever seen. After that sight, he realized he was never going to like any other hair color on a woman. 

He leaned over and kissed her forehead with infinite tenderness. 

"You love her, don't you, master?" Asked Ahmad.

Ardeth's eyes met his. "I've never been the kind of man to make trades. But I would give anything, even my life, yes Ahmad, my life for her. I would do it in the blink of an eye, without hesitation. For this woman. For my new friend. For the first woman that has ever deserved to be called Med-jai." He turned to her. "Breathe to make me breathe, Jean."

Quietly, Ahmad left the tent, knowing that his leader needed some time alone with Jean. Ardeth wordlessly thanked him for his thoughtfulness.

***

In another tent, Tarek quickly filled Ahmed in on the previous events and he listened in wonder as his grandson described the bravery of Jean Marquet. 

_"She has saved his life, my life and the life of all the Med-jai. If not for her engagement and the fact that my brother loves her, I would consider keeping her as my wife."_

Ahmed stared at Tarek in surprise. He hadn't expected the possibility of Jean being so heroic or that Ardeth could possibly love her, but that certainly made sense, for why else would he have broken the tribe's laws to be with her and worried so much over her health and well-being? But he was even more astonished at Tarek's admission, considering he was courting the young and beautiful Sheelah. 

_"I want to see her when she awakes," _he said.__


	21. Chapter twenty one

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Ardeth just stayed by her side and held Jean's hand. He lost track of time, but he realized it was night and then morning again.

Ardeth was afraid. Jean was going to be lost because of him. He had not felt like that since he saw his brother's slain… there was real fear that he would lose her. 'I should have never left her face that monster and sacrifice for me,' he thought. 

He was so angry with himself right then that he almost despised himself. Allah help him, he adored her and would die first before having to deal with her death. How would he be able to face his grandfather, indeed, how would he be able to face anyone knowing that his failing in defending Hamunaptra had cost them Jean's life? He knew her sacrifice had saved his, but he couldn't do other thing besides regretting it, for he would have preferred to die instead of her.

He leaned over to her and whispered softly into her ear.

"Jean, please do not leave me." He could hear her labored breathing as she struggled with life and death. Ardeth picked up a rag, dipped it in the cool water and wiped the sweat from her feverish face. He kissed her forehead and went on talking to her.

"I have not told you this before because I am not very good at telling people these sort of things, but I want you to know how grateful I am for you coming here. I have been able to be with you, and I have had the honor of battling by your side. And I thank Allah for that everyday. You mean more to me than a lot of things out there. And I owe you more than I could ever possibly begin to pay back. The love I have in my heart for you transcends just about all other love I have ever known. You will always have very special place in my heart, and in the heart of the Med-jai."

Jean's eyes begun to open. "Hi", she coughed out. He looked at her, surprised at first and then softly and reached out to stroke her cheek. 

"My little chosen one is finally awake," Ardeth spoke tenderly. "Would it be your wish for me to leave?"

"No. Please, stay. I have no inclination to be away from you," she whispered. 

Ardeth was delighted to see that, even though she was still very weak, her eyes had regained their twinkle. "Neither do I wish to be away from you." He moved closer to her, looking into her eyes. "Welcome back." 

Her eyes filled with tears as she said, "Ardeth, I heard what you told me. It was what brought me back. That was one of the sweetest things I have ever heard. And I can't tell you how much you mean to me. You will always have a special place in my heart." She softly rose and kissed his cheek. 

Then she noticed that her right hand was slightly bruised as a result of his tight grip. 

"I am sorry about that," Ardeth said sheepishly upon noticing the marks, "I didn't know what to do…so I just held your hand. The only other thing I could do was sit and pray to Allah, because faith was all I had." 

"I suppose I can consider myself lucky that these are the only marks I bear after facing Imhotep." She smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry about it…and thank you." 

"How are you feeling?"

"Better…" She looked at him…those eyes meeting hers…he was reaching into her soul.

"I thought I had lost you," he whispered as she drew him to her. She held him close for a few moments then let him go.

"Can I have some water?" Jean asked.

"Oh, yes of course," Ardeth jumped up off the bed and poured some water into a cup. He helped her sit up, propping pillows behind her.

"Thank you, Ardeth."

"I am the one who has to thank you, for you have earnt the respect and gratitude of me and my people," he said earnestly.

"Oh, well, it was nothing. Besides, I think I got a lot of help..."

"The Gods were on our side, but only because you fought along with us, little one," he stated.

At that point, they heard Ahmad's voice asking to be let inside the tent. Ardeth authorized him and the boy almost fainted when he saw Jean fully awake and sitting in bed.

"You are… Allah, Jean, you live!" He exclaimed, completely bewildered, as he ran to kneel by her bed.

"Yes, Ahmad, I do. And mostly thanks to the way you took care of my wound."

She reached out a hand and the young man took it softly. Their eyes met and they exchanged a look filled with tenderness and affection.

"Your father would be proud, Ahmad." 

"Thank you, Master, but I am more proud of him for taking the time to teach me." He placed his hand in camaraderie on the boy's shoulder.

"Master," said Ahmad, remembering he had a message for him. "Your grandfather requested to see Jean some time ago, and I believe now would be the perfect moment for him to see her."

"Then bring him to us, as long as Jean is not tired."

"I'm not…I'd like to see him."

Ahmad left the tent and returned with Ahmed. The old man had tears in his eyes when he saw Jean. He sat on a pillow next to her bed and took one of her delicate hands.

"Thank you, Ahmad, you are dismissed."

When Ahmad left, the kin looked at his grandson and smiled. "I am very proud of you, Ardeth. You have helped this brave woman battle Imhotep fiercely and I know that your father Ardam'an would be proud of you."

Ardeth was touched and all he could do was nod. "Thank you, grandfather."

"And now you are dismissed too, grandson."

Ardeth looked at his kin puzzled and then smiled.

"Ok, grandfather, but let me warn you about this: you will have to marry Jean if you share a tent."

The three of them laughed as Ardeth left, and Ahmed turned to Jean.

"You have saved his life, Jean," he told her.

She looked at him and frowned, "He is… I don't know, sir, but I would die for him."

He met her direct gaze and nodded. "You honor the Med-jai, Jean. We can never repay you for what you have done."

She smiled at Ahmed kindly, "I don't need to be repaid. Your words are payment enough, but regardless of that, I would not allow Ardeth to die if I could help it."

"Our leader is a very fortunate man to have a woman like you. Allah truly smiled upon him when He brought you into Ardeth's life...and into ours."

"Thank you," she replied with teary eyes.

"While you were unwell, I discussed an issue with the counsel that you may like to know about," started Ahmed.

"What is it?" Asked Jean, feeling great curiosity.

"We want you to be the first woman ever to be acknowledged as a Med-jai."

Jean's eyes widened as her heart begun beating faster. "What are you talking about sir?"

"That, if you are willing to, you will become a Med-jai, and a member of our tribe," stated the old man, smiling benevolently at her.

"I would be most honored…" Tears were clouding her eyes. "But…I can't stay here."

"I know so, my dear. But that does not mean that you can't be one of us."

"How? Why? My religion…" She couldn't even speak coherently.

"Because you deserve it. We are all grateful for what you've done for us, and we are willing to execute a ceremony in which you will become a Med-jai. Your religion does not matter to us, as long as you take our oath. Now, do you accept?"

"Of course I do, sir. How could I refuse?" Replied Jean without a second of hesitation.

"Good, then I shall prepare everything. The ceremony will take place tomorrow, if you are strong enough."

"I am."

"Very well. You will need to choose an 'instructor' among the warriors, excluding me and Ardeth, for we will both lead the ceremony," he informed her.

"I choose Ahmad." Jean said without thinking about it twice. The man nodded and rose to leave the tent. "Does Ardeth know about this?" She asked.

Ahmed turned to her. "No, but I believe he will be most pleased, as well as the whole. Rest now."

The man left Jean alone and she just stared at the ceiling in awe.

***

Outside, the whole camp had heard the good news about Jean's recovery and were asking more about her. Tarek was filling Ardeth in about the developments in the camp while he was staying with Jean. When his younger brother finished, Ardeth placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You have done a fine job as my second in command. Is there anything else I need to know about?"

"No, brother."

"Good. Now that Jean is alright, I will return to my duties tomorrow morning," he informed him with a smile. 

The younger brother returned the grin with one of his own, knowing that his leader's happiness was because of Jean's health's improvement.

Ahmed joined them and informed his two grandsons about what he had spoken with Jean. Tarek was not surprised, but Ardeth was simply shocked, of course that in a pleasant way.

"Thank you grandfather, for doing this. Jean really deserves it."

His voice showed how much Jean meant to him. She was beautiful and courageous and Tarek knew that his brother would always have a special place in his heart for her, despite that fact that he could not express his feelings as she was an engaged woman. 

After that, the three men dispersed, and the Chieftain returned to Jean's tent. She had fallen asleep and Ardeth softly lay in bed next to her and fell asleep too.


	22. Chapter twenty two

AN: God, I'm so sorry for keeping you waiting all this time! Thing is, some idiot dropped my laptop to the floor and I had to have it repaired, which took longer than a week. But I think there's a little thingee in this chapter that will make it worth the wait. You be the judge.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

It was about 6 PM when Ardeth awoke to find Jean snuggled up to him with her head on his shoulder, her legs entwined with his. He feared that she would be pressing her wound against him, but she slept so serenely that didn't seem to be going through any pain. He decided to see how long it took her to wake. He didn't have to wait long, after a few minutes of watching her she started to stir and then opened her eyes.  

"What time is it?" Asked Jean, her eyes widening as she realized how close the two of them were, in what an intimate way they had slept.

"The sun will begin to set soon," he informed her, a bit amused by her reaction.

But when she tried to subtly disentangle herself from him, he firmly planted his hands on her waist and trapped her legs between his. She looked up at him and was about to protest, but when she saw the intense look in his eyes, the words of complaint died in her lips.

"I want to go outside," she whispered.

Ardeth shook his head. "You should wait," he told her.

"Please…"

He couldn't resist her pleading eyes and sighed. "Alright."

He rose from bed and splashed his face with fresh water from a basin, which he then handed to Jean, along with her make-up case. But there was something else in her tent she hadn't noticed before; it was a larger basin, which resembled a bathtub.

Before she had the chance to ask, Ardeth informed her, "I figured that you would like to look your best for this occasion, so I ordered my men to bring this while we slept. It is filled with warm water." 

She smiled sweetly at him. "Thank you so much." But then realization struck her. "You mean... you mean someone entered and saw us sleeping like... this?"

The Chieftain noticed she had blushed intensely and let out a soft laugh. "Do not worry, sheytana, they were probably Ahmad and Tarek."

"Is that supposed to make it all better? God, I don't know how will I face them..."

"Habibi," soothed Ardeth. " They are loyal to a fault, if we cannot be ourselves in front of them then who else can we be at ease with?'

"But, what if they thought we...?"

"They know," was all he replied. 

Jean nodded. She was still dying from embarrassment, but...

"I will give you some privacy now," he said, and left the tent.

Ardeth ran to the Nile for a quick dip, then to his tent to brush his hair and change into a cleaner robe and the returned to hers, to find her looking very beautiful.

She had washed her body thoroughly, glad to be able to remove all the fever's remains and then she had settled back in bed, for she was feeling a bit tired after the effort she had gone through. Her hair was wet and she was trying to disentangle it.

"Would you like me to help you with that?" He offered.

"Yes, please, I can't lift my arms just yet and looks like my hair is plotting against my best efforts to look good."

"You always do, kalila," said Ardeth, giving her a meaningful look that made Jean blush once again.

He then took the hairbrush from her hands and sat behind her. With extreme gentleness, he separated her hair in thin strands and ran the brush through each's length, enjoying the silky feeling of them against his fingers. He repeated the process several times, until her hair was entirely lustrous and tangle-free.

Jean had never imagined that having a man brush her hair could be so... sensuous. By the time he had finished, her breathing had become shallow and accelerated. When Ardeth looked at her, she realized his reaction had been exactly the same.

He then gave her the small trunk for her to pick and put on some jewelry and looked inside her trunk to find some clothes for her to wear. She was only wearing a very thin robe over her underwear, which she promptly removed, staying under the blanket to cover herself. He pulled out a turquoise dress.

"Would this please you?"

"Yes." 

She started to get up from bed with difficulty and Ardeth helped her. When she was standing, he looked at her.

"I should turn," he suggested.

"First of all, you've had your hands all over me while we slept, so it would be ridiculous to ask you to turn," she said matter-of-factly.

"Come again?" He eyed her with curiosity and there was a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Ya know what I mean. And second, well, I kind of need your help."

Ardeth nodded. Still, no matter how strong his self-control was, at the sight of her body covered only by two pieces of thin underwear, he could feel his blood burning and his heart pounded almost painfully. 

"You are beautiful, Jean. So soft, so pale, your skin like milk and rose petals," he whispered, his voice husky.

The woman looked at him with smoldered eyes and, when he reached out to run the back of his hand across the sensitive skin of her abdomen, she moved closer to him, never breaking eye contact.

Slowly, so slowly it was almost torturous, his lips met hers and she felt sparks like she'd never felt before. His tongue slid into her mouth, dancing with her own, his arms wrapping around her slender figure and caressing the flesh of her back. 

Jean's hands slid up to the back of his neck, her fingers lacing themselves into his hair. A thousand sensations seemed to explode inside of her and she moaned his name. That was all he needed. He pulled her even closer, his arms going around her to clasp her to him. 

She felt desire roaming through her body in a way that left her weak and her hands found their way to his robe's front opening. Finally, her fingers could have more intimate contact with his nude skin. She marveled at how brawny his chest was; the perfectly built muscles greeted her hungry-to-explore fingers and she let them travel up and down, occasionally digging her nails on the hard, yet soft tissue.

Ardeth was lost in sensations, the texture of her satiny lips distracting him enough that he had to force himself to release her as he realized what he was doing. He had given his emotions full rein, which in a situation like theirs was inexcusable. With a strength he didn't know he had, Ardeth pulled away from Jean.

She moaned in protest, but was left with nothing but liquid green eyes staring up into his face. His expression was of pure regret.

" I... I am sorry," he whispered breathlessly.

" No, it's OK..." Jean managed to answer. 

Ardeth looked relieved. Without another word, he promptly helped her put on her dress and kneeled down to put a pair of golden sandals on her feet.

"You look very attractive," he told her after getting up. "But I am really looking forward to seeing you in the Medjai robes."

"Your grandfather's told you…"

"Yes, and I believe it is a wonderful idea. We all do," he reassured her, sensing his approval was crucial for her.

"Thanks."

Ardeth offered her his arm to sustain her after the manner of an Englishman and they both left the tent little by little.

When Ahmad and the rest of the Med-jai warriors saw that Jean was leaving the tent, a loud cheer went up. She blushed and felt like she did not need any kind of induction ceremony, for she already was a true member of the Med-jai tribe. 

Almost immediately, she was surrounded by the warriors who were asking her about her health and congratulating her for beating Imhotep and for being about to become a Med-jai.

When they went back to their duties, Kasim approached Jean, who was still supported by Ardeth's arm.

"I was wrong and I hope you will forgive me some day," he blurted out.

"There is nothing to forgive, sir," she replied, as kindly as she could.

The man left and Ardeth couldn't hold back a smile.

"You really impressed him with that answer, Jean," he commented.

She smiled, but she hadn't been fooled by Kasim's words. He had said them like she used to repeat her lessons after having memorized them. She wasn't stupid and realized that the man hadn't accepted her yet, all the contrary, he still disliked her. And she couldn't care less.

"I am not a rancorous person. Would you please take me to the Nile?" She asked.

"And to the Nile we are going," said Ardeth and they both headed towards the river.

When they arrived, they stood there, gazing at the scenery and without saying a word. The sun was setting. The beautiful reds and yellows clashed in the sky as the orange sun sunk below the water line in the distance. Ardeth broke the silence.

"I should go help my men prepare dinner…but I don't want to leave you all alone."

"Go, go… I will be fine," she assured him.

"No. It wouldn't be prudent."

"Actually, I would enjoy some solitude."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, dear," she said with a smile, "as long as you promise to come back for me and not forget me here."

"Like I could ever do that. I will see you later." And with that, he was gone.

Jean stood for a long time in front of the Nile, supporting her body with one hand pressed against a palm tree, the sky's reds had been replaced by a dark blue blanket. She looked up at it, marveling at all the millions of stars. No sounds of cars, no smell of factories, just the purity of the sand and the stars. She let her breath out in a contented sigh. Silence. Privacy. Peace. And the taste of Ardeth still in her lips.


	23. Chapter twenty three

AN: Again, a million times sorry for the delay. It's just that my laptop keeps having huge problems and I don't know where else to take it so it can be fixed. Anyway, here's a new chappie and I promise the next one will be uploaded in a week. Thanks for the patience!

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

She felt his presence long before he was near her. He walked up behind her. Jean could feel his body heat radiating from him as he stepped closer. Ardeth encircled her waist with his arms. 

"I am back," he whispered. "Are you happy here, Jean?" He asked, very gently. 

He sounded like a little boy, unsure and awkward as he waited for her answer. Jean found that endearing and, leaving the support of the palm tree, turned to him and laid her hands flat against his warm chest. 

"Of course I am." And she told the truth, which was from her heart.

"Good, but I can not ask you to stay here with us. The desert is cruel and unforgiving. It is a harsh life and there is no guarantee of survival. The life of the Med-jai is not to be taken lightly. It is our honor that we do what we do, there is no leaving the desert for us. This is our home," he finished.

"I know, but that is not the reason why I am returning to the USA. Trust me, if I didn't love my life back there the way I do, I would stay here without even thinking about it twice."

He bent his head down so that their foreheads touched.

"Would you?" 

"Surely I would, Ardeth. And maybe one day I will be back to stay," she said quietly.

"You would be most welcome, kalila."

She then remembered how he had called her when she was wounded. He had called her 'kalila' and 'habibi'; and now, he was doing it again. She was his sweetheart, his beloved. Jean smiled and delicately kissed his cheek.

"Ardeth?"

"Tell me."

"I know what habibi and kalila stand for… but what's the meaning of 'sheytana'?" She asked.

"Sheytans are spirits of the night, and a sheytana is a she-devil. In this case, it would be the equivalent to mermaid or sorceress. Alluring men with her magic," he said, and stared deeply into her green eyes.

Jean was speechless. "Woa." Looking at him a bit more intently, she noticed something... no, but it couldn't be... 'Did he just blush?' Jean wasn't sure and, apparently, it would remain as a mystery.

Ardeth wanted that moment to go on forever. Their kiss had been playing repeatedly in his mind. He wanted to take her to his bed making her his completely, but he couldn't...

Before any of them had the chance to say anything, Tarek went to let them know that the dinner was ready. They both went to the table, hand in hand, and joined the cheerful warriors, who were eating and drinking with great joy. Of course they were happy, Imhotep had been defeated, Jean was healing and the next day she would become one of them.

Ahmad was sitting at Jean's right side and his eyes never left her. Nervously, he spoke to her. "Thank you for choosing me as your leader… it is a great honor."

"I couldn't have considered anybody else to guide me," she simply said.

"I thought that now you would prefer someone with more experience…" he hinted.

Jean placed a hand on his shoulder. "Ahmad, what happened with Imhotep didn't change anything. I am still the same person. And I will never forget the sweet way in which you have treated me."

"And I will be always here to help you," he promised.

"Ahmad," said Ahmed, who had followed their entire conversation, "it would be good if you got together with Jean after dinner and told her what would be expected of her during tomorrow's ceremony."

"Yes, sir," replied the boy obediently.

Dinner was over a while later and they both left to Jean's tent. Ardeth saw them leave and contained a wave of jealousy that was growing inside him.

'Get a grip.' He told himself. 'Do not be stupid, he is only a kid.'

***

Three hours later, Ahmad went out and found his Chieftain sitting nearby, waiting.

"Are you done?" He asked the boy.

"Yes, Master. I've instructed her as much as I could, trying not to tire her. And I have also taken care of her wound; it is healing fastly." There was a note of triumph in his voice Ardeth didn't miss.

"Very well, go rest now, Ahmad."

"Thank you, sir, but I will guard outside tonight… as every other night."

"I am sure Jean will appreciate it very much. Good night." And with that, Ardeth went into Jean's tent and found her brushing her hair in front of the golden mirror.

"It looks like you no longer need my help for that…"

"Actually, my wound's starting to hurt..." she said, looking at him with a mischievous spark in her eyes.

Ardeth didn't need to be told twice and for the space of nearly half an hour, he ran the soft bristles of the brush through her lovely hair. When he was done, Jean turned to face him. Since there was no easy way of saying what she was about to say, she decided to do it quickly. 

"Ardeth… I will leave the day after tomorrow."

He felt as if his heart was being ripped from his chest. "So soon?" He managed to ask.

"Yes… I don't want to worry my family anymore," she explained apologetically.

"I understand. Perhaps you would prefer to leave tomorrow and forget about the ceremony. After all, it is of non-importance," he said, more brusquely than he had really intended.

Her eyes filled with tears and she turned her back to him. "Perhaps I should. It's not worth staying where I'm not wanted."

"Damnit, Jean," Ardeth muttered. He knew he had hurt her deeply and turned her to face him once again, cradling her body between his arms. "Jean, look at me." 

She kept her head down, not wanting to look at him. He put a hand under her chin and forced her head up but she kept her eyes downcast. 

"Jean, I said look at me," he commanded firmly. Something in his voice made her obey and she looked at him, fire flashing from her eyes. He cupped her face with one hand, his thumb tenderly stroking her cheek. "I am sorry I snapped at you. I  know how hard this must be for you and yet I took it out on you. I ask you to forgive me."

The fire slowly died from her eyes as she listened to his deep voice. The tension left her body as his thumb continued its soothing motion. She was anguished to see the pain so visible in his eyes as he patiently awaited her answer. 

She sighed. "I'm sorry too, Ardeth. I guess I'm just being a bit oversensitive. I know you didn't want to hurt me." She gave a chagrined look and he smiled back at her, catching both of her hands in his. 

"You need to rest. Tomorrow will be a long day." 'And your last one here,' he thought.

"You're right." Jean quickly got in bed, leaving a free space for Ardeth.

"There is no more need for me to guard you. You may prefer to sleep alone," he said, trying not to show how much that fact distressed him.

"Don't think for me, my darling. I prefer to spend with you every single minute."

Ardeth swallowed and cupped her face in his hands. Was he trembling? Perhaps she was imagining it, but it seemed that his voice shook a little too. "Then will you allow me in your bed?"

" Of course." The answer pleased the Med-jai, who took off his robe and lay in bed next to Jean, but without touching her. Their gazes met and none of them spoke for a moment. When Ardeth did, his voice was packed with grief.

"We will miss you."

"Shhhh…" She placed one of her long, delicate fingers on his lips, as to silence his words. "Don't think about my departure. I am here with you now and that's all that matters."

"You are right." He kissed her finger and his body moved closer to hers. "Nothing else matters to me."

Jean looked at him with infinite affection and bit her lower lip, while he took her face in his hands and stared at it, as if it was the most precious jewel in the universe. Her body met Ardeth's and she nestled against him, draping one arm across his ample chest and tucking the other against her.

Ardeth could hear her breathing, strong and deep, and he could smell the fresh scent of her hair. It was intoxicating, familiar and almost drove him crazy.

"Try to sleep, little one. Tomorrow at this time you will be one of us."

"Sounds too good to be true," she said in a whisper.

"It will be true. Even the elders will come to the ceremony."

"Who are they?"

"They are the older of the Medjai, seasoned warriors, blessed and anointed by Allah. We all look upon the five of them with great honor and respect," Ardeth solemnly said.

"Wow. I would love to meet them. Oh, I forgot to ask Ahmad something."

"Then ask me, kalila."

"Won't I get any tattoos?"

"I believe any of my men would die before putting any mark on your lovely skin, Jeannie. Besides, I do not think it will be necessary, for you already have one." 

She looked at her arm and smiled. The mark had blackened and now it looked like a tattoo that had been inked in her skin. "Yes, I think you're right." 

Jean nestled against Ardeth more closely, smiled and let out a little sigh. He pulled the covers up and under her chin and gave her a kiss on her forehead. She smiled, clasped his shirt and let another sigh out as she fell asleep in his arms. He looked at her as he held her. An overwhelming feeling of love and protectiveness washed over him for the seemingly fragile girl. She had suffered so much in those days. He didn't want to disturb her, but couldn't help himself as he bent over and brushed her lips with his. A small sigh escaped her lips as a slight smile crossed her face, yet she stayed asleep. His eyes closed and visions of her floated around.

"Breathe to make me breathe, Jean," he whispered into her ear and then drifted off to sleep, joining her in the realm of dreams.


	24. Chapter twenty four

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

The sun's first rays crept into the valley as the Medjai began rising from their beds. Small sounds came from the camp as breakfast preparations were made. Inside the tent, Ardeth awakened to the sounds of the camp beginning to stir. He opened his eyes and saw a mass of soft, red ringlets blocking his normal view of the tent walls. He realized that sometime while he slept, he had buried his face in Jean's hair, and now he inhaled deeply, letting her essence fill his nostrils. He exhaled slowly and in utter content, as he gently hugged her close to him. The small movement made her stir and she rolled on her back, stretching much to Ardeth's amusement. 

Jean smiled as she felt Ardeth's warm body near her and she opened her eyes to find his head propped up on an elbow and looking down at her. She smiled. 

"Good morning."

"Good morning to you, my beautiful, fiery sunrise." growled Ardeth. "It is time for me to get up, you can stay in bed for a while longer if you like." 

Without waiting for answer, he started to dress, sitting in the bed for his boots and then he put his robe on and belted it. He finished his attire by hanging his scimitar from his belt. Noting that Jean was very quiet, he turned to find her staring at him.

"What is it, little one?" He asked, confused by the myriad of emotions shining in her eyes.

"No, nothing... the way in which you called me…" she trailed off and looked away.

Ardeth hurried to apologize. "I'm sorry, I know it was inappropriate, but it felt right."

Jean shook her head vigorously. "No, don't! I can't think of a sweeter way of being called. It just... shocked me," she explained.

Ardeth smiled and sat on the bed next to where she was lying. He took her hands, turned them palm up, and gently kissed them.

"Today is a great day for you Jean…and for me. Nothing can please me more than having you become a part of my world," he whispered.

She smiled at him, as her eyes stared deeply into his.

"This is like a dream come true for me, Ardeth. I want so bad to be a part of your world…and I feel like I am already a part of you. I know your soul and you know mine, and I have shared your pain just as you have shared mine. God, Ardeth, we've been through so much together," she said.

"I know, habibi, I know. For me, everything about you is special and I will never ever forget a single detail of these days we have spent together. I am sorry to leave now, but I must carry my duties," he said, getting up.

Jean smiled. "Don't' worry about me. I will be up in a few minutes."

Kissing her forehead, Ardeth left the tent. Jean waited a few minutes and then got dressed in a blue silk dress. She opened her tent flap and smiled at what a wonderful day it was. The morning sun shed a golden hue across the sand. The sky was a warm and clear blue and there was a slight breeze that the palms swayed along with. Jean walked outside into the sunshine, enjoying the feel of the sun on her skin.

She found the whole camp in silence and she realized she was witnessing the first _salat_, or prayer, for the day now having risen. All the warriors were kneeling towards the direction of Mecca. She heard their voices softly in prayer and stood there silently until they finished several minutes later.

Ardeth felt her presence and turned to her, to find the woman smiling at him.

"That was very touching," she said.

"It was the Salat, one of the five pillars of Islam," explained the man.

"I know. You have to do it five times a day, right?" 

Ardeth could sense the interest in her inquiring mind and that pleased him. The Chieftain decided to explain her something more.

 "Yes. The _salat_ must be performed each day without question. There is no excuse to not do it; but the rest of the pillars, well, Mohammed gave his people exceptions and if one is sick or poor they may be excused. But Mohammed forbid any excuses for not doing the _salat_."

"Then not doing it must be like a deadly sin," she concluded.

"Yes, it's _haram_. He even made it less a burden by shortening the original amount of fifty to five a day."

Jean's brows arched. "Oh…" 

Having heard the last sentence, Tarek intervened. "Yeah, we are infinitely thankful for that," he joked.

Jean laughed and the two brothers joined her, but their joy lasted little.

"You must be quiet after the _salat_!" Chastised a voice from behind them.

They turned to face Kasim; he was looking at them with a condemning look in his small black eyes. That didn't have any effect on Ardeth's good mood, though.

"I don't remember the prophet writing anything about that, uncle," stated the Chieftain.

Jean and Tarek coughed back a laugh.

Kasim look affronted. _"Young people…"_ With that, the bitter man left them, obviously defeated.

"Good one, brother," said Tarek, patting Ardeth on the back.

"Thank you, Tarek. I am a bit fed up with his attitude, to tell you the truth."

"Well, it was about time someone put him back in his place."

"Oh, guys, cut him some slack!" Intervened Jean.

The two brothers looked at her, obviously surprised. Tarek was he first one to say something. "You are too forgiving, Jeannie."

"No, I'm not. Most of the time I feel like shooting your uncle, I don't understand why he is so… uptight, I mean, all of you aren't like that."

"He is indeed one of the most traditionalist men I've met. Over the years, the Medjai have evolved, but he and some others are against any change," explained Ardeth.

"Is any of those 'others' a member of the Counsel?" Asked Jean, looking slightly worried. "I just don't like the idea of facing more Kasims tonight…" 

The two warriors smiled at her.

"Only one, and I believe you've already met him: Omid," replied Ardeth.

Jean rolled her eyes. "Oh, the joy…"

"You don't like him?" Was Tarek's question. Jean shook her head and the man laughed. "Good, neither do I." 

Ahmad coughed softly and the three of them turned to him. The boy looked a bit uneasy. He didn't like the idea of interrupting them or taking Jean away from Ardeth, since he knew how possessive he was, but he knew he had a responsibility.

"Is something the matter, Ahmad?" Asked the Chieftain.

"No, Master, I just came to… I need to… to instruct Jean a little more. She still has to think about her oath and… well, I thought that this could be the right time to…" His voice trailed off and Jean smiled beneficently at him. 

"I had totally forgotten about that, thanks for reminding me, Ahmad." She then turned to Ardeth and Tarek. "Sorry guys, gotta go… it's homework time!"

"Go ahead, Jean. We will be at the stables if you need us."

"OK, bye." 

She went to her tent, with Ahmad following her and all morning they stayed there. 

They had finished by lunchtime, Ardeth and Tarek joined them and they had a pretty good time, eating all together in her tent. Then they left her to rest before the arrival of the Counsel.

Jean got in her bed and smiled at her surroundings, letting her mind wander until she fell asleep.

***

Around four PM, Jean had got up and dressed. She was in her tent when she heard noises outside that indicated the Counsel had arrived. Ardeth had told her to wait for him to take her to be introduced, so she sat in front of the mirror to adjust her veil.

She noticed her nose was starting to peel off and, frowning, she grabbed her moisturizer. As she had just finished applying it, she heard Ardeth's voice from outside.

"Jean, are you ready?"

"Yes." 

She left the tent wearing a dark blue abaya and soft black slippers. She had covered her hair with a gaza scarf the same color of her dress.

"Please, tell me… will this be appropriate? I didn't want to look too…"

"You look wonderful, kalila. Your attire could not be more appropriate; it is elegant, yet simple," he assured her.

"Thanks, I was so worried…"

Smiling, the Medjai Chieftain took Jean's hand and led her to where the Eleven Commanders had gathered. He made the ceremonial sign.

_"Harum Bara shad!" _

His Commanders gave him the same greeting and they formed a line, waiting for the woman to be introduced to them. All had a great respect for the young man even though some of them were well over fifty years. They had served his father and now the son. And they were infinitely thankful at the woman that had saved his life. Ardeth made Jean approach each man and introduced them to her. 

"Hayid al Mazur, Black Tribe leader," he stated, nodding. "Yusuf Hawaas, Yellow Tribe leader; Massoud Bek, Blue Tribe leader; Emir Keppel, Tan Tribe leader; Khaled ben Nassouri, Orange Tribe leader; Aymar el Abidine, Green Tribe leader; Ahmed Galaal, Ivory Tribe leader; Osmar Ansari, Gray Tribe leader; Salwa Jamah, Brown Tribe leader; Omid Shukrun, White Tribe leader; Hakeem Telhami, Silver Tribe leader; _This is Jean Marquet, the woman who destroyed Imhotep._" 

They shook her hand one by one and bowed. _"Allah be with you," _they said in unison.

Jean smiled and made a small curtsy. _"It is a pleasure to meet you, sirs."_

She didn't miss Omid's venomous look; but the other warriors were looking at her cordially and that stopped her from asking him what his problem was.

Ardeth then led her to where the five elders were. They were sitting together and she felt ten eyes studying her as she approached. It didn't make her uncomfortable, though, as she didn't sense anything else but curiosity. Smiling, she          subtly did the same.

They were obviously judicious and experienced. The weathered lines in their faces told stories of age-old battles and long periods in the hot desert sun. Jean found herself liking them, even before they were introduced. Maybe it was because they seemed very alike to Ahmed, whose lack of preconceptions had made her feel welcome.

Ardeth introduced them to her one by one. _"Jean, these are our Elders: __Mohammed al Muhabi, Omar Keppel, Talaat Shariff, Saidt Seinh, Paiam Khadeel. Elders, this is Jean Marquet, the woman who will become our sister, if you approve."_

She reverently bowed and the first one, Mohammed, held out his hand to her. _"Come here child, tell me, are you ready for tonight's ceremony?" _He asked kindly.

She took his hand and sat at his feet._ "Yes, I believe I am," _Jean replied with a smile.__

_"It is a wonder you speak our language," _commented Paiam.__

_"I'm quite wondered by that as well."_

It was Omar's turn to speak._ "Ahmed Bay has praised you in a way we have never heard him praise a woman before and now we have taken some time to talk to the warriors and they all commend your bravery, your selfless deeds and your invaluable help." _

Jean bowed. _"You do me a great honor, sir. I just did what I had to do,"_ she said humbly.__

_"With help from the Ancients, am I correct?" _Asked Talaat.

_"You are," _was her soft reply.

_"Then you have our full approval. Not just because Allah has worked through you, but also because you seem a good woman," _finished Saidt.__

Jean was touched by that and all she could do was smile brightly at them and put every ounce of gratitude in her words.

_"Thank you." _

The Elders smiled as well and Ardeth intervened. _"Now, if you excuse us, I must take Jean to be prepared for the ceremony." _

He took her to her tent, where Ahmad was waiting for them and they spent the following hours instructing her, as well as enjoying their time together. 


	25. Chapter twenty five

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

The weather was glorious, and the setting sun shed a glow of pale honey across the dunes. The expanse of sand was magnificent, looking like burnished gold against the darkening sky. 

Jean, Ardeth and Ahmad left the tent. Following their advice on what to wear, she had put on the dressiest robe she found; it was, after all, a celebration. It was made of ivory natural silk, embroidered with golden patterns and had a matching veil. Ahmad didn't mention it, since she was already nervous, but she looked like a bride. _'Maybe one day she will be my Master's bride,'_ he said to himself.

The Chieftain felt Jean's apprehension and whispered to her, "Do not be nervous Jean…it is just a ceremony with nice older men...they will not bite." 

She was nervous and somehow that little statement made her more so. 

Taking her hand, Ardeth led her to stand in front of all the Elders and Captains of the tribes, with Ahmad by her side, and took his place in the middle of them. The whole camp had gathered around in order to witness the ceremony. It begun when Jean kneeled in front of them. Prayers started and Mohammed, the oldest of the Elders stepped forward to face Jean. He was slightly crouched over, with a staff to lean on. 

_"Jean Marquet. You were appointed for this time centuries ago. Praise be to Allah! Your time has come. You will now know your calling and become one of us." _He pulled a scimitar, raised it toward the sky and shouted a rhythmic phrase in Arabic, then laid it at Jean's feet. Then he placed next to it a new Med-jai robe made especially for her.

He signaled her to stand up and pointing, he brought the attention of the Elders to the symbols on her arm. _"The symbols of the Med-jai. Of the first Med-jai woman."_ Everyone in the camp dropped to their knees and bowed, humming and singing in prayers that Jean had never heard before.

The man retreated and Ahmed took his place in front of Jean.

_"Now tell us your oath, my child. Show us why you want to become a Medjai."_

Jean took a deep breath and spoke softly, but with determination, facing the warriors with a sweet smile, but her eyes were fixed in Ardeth as she took her pledge.

There was so much love and trust in her eyes, that he took a second to swallow the lump in his throat.

_"It was God's will for me to come here. His wisdom brought me to you and placed these symbols in my arm. I would have never expected to be so kindly accepted by all of you or to feel that I belong here; so far away from the place I call 'home'. But in turned out that, even though this life is ruthless, I fell in love with it. I love everything that surrounds me. And nothing would honor me more than becoming a Med-jai. I promise that, no matter where I am and no matter what I do, looking after Hamunaptra will be my priority. He Who Shall Not Be Named will not be awakened again, and if he is, I will even give my life in order to send him back to the Netherworld. I also promise to respect the principles of your religion and your costumes, not denying who I am, but becoming a richer, more open person."_

The elders looked pleased and Ahmed turned to his grandson.

_"Ardeth Bay, as the Chieftain, it is your duty to bless or to condemn this designation."_

The handsome warrior went towards Jean, kissed her forehead and stood by her side. He gazed at the warriors reunited around them and addressed to them.

_"This woman would be the most valuable addition to our tribe that I could ever think of. Her strength and courage have saved my life, as well as the lives of my men. Her warm heart has comforted us all and her incredible sweet manners have changed us forever. I bless this ceremony with all my heart for she is a Med-jai and she will always be, and after today, she will belong here forever as one of us." _He then turned to her_. _"This will be your home, Jean, for whenever you want to come and stay with us." He went back to his place, after glancing at her with an affectionate look in his eyes.

Jean's vision was blurred behind a curtain of tears that threatened to spill. She gathered all the strength she had left and turned to Ahmad, who had been by her side during the whole ceremony. The young man crouched, lifted the scimitar and put it in Jean's hands, which were opened with the palms facing the sky. He then took the robe and put it around her shoulders. His light brown eyes were filled with sweetness and warmth.

Ahmed stepped forward again and kissed Jean's cheeks. _"Jean, my daughter, you have a great duty to fulfill. It is time you knew of your destiny. You are the chosen one and have proven to be a part of the Med-jai."_

He then pronounced her to be the first Med-jai woman. Loud cheers rose and she was surrounded by the warriors. They all wanted to congratulate their sister. Ardeth realized she was very tired and went to rescue her.

"Now, brothers, let's let Jean get dressed as one of us and then we will continue the celebrations."

The men understood and went back to their chores. He gave her a beneficent smile and placed his hand gently on the small of her back as he ushered her inside her tent.

"Thank you. This has been something I will never forget," she whispered.

Ardeth let his hands graze the flesh of her back as he answered with a wholeheartedly, "I am happy you enjoyed it. It meant a lot to me too."

Jean took his right hand in hers and kissed it. "Ahmad told me it's customary for you to help the new Med-jai put on his first set of robes."

The warrior cleared his throat. "Yes, it is, but in regard to your modesty..."

The look in her soulful green eyes made him forget what he was saying. Holding out his left hand, he allowed his long fingers to stroke her cheek. By Allah, he wanted to kiss those cheeks and those full lips.

Softly and without breaking eye contact with him in any moment, Jean undid her robes and veil and let them fall to the floor in a pile of white and gold mist. Stepping out of it, she lifted her arms and Ardeth slid the black robes over her head.

He swallowed hard. If he thought she was beautiful, then he was mistaken; she was simply breathtaking at that moment. Ardeth had no idea red hair was so striking when the bearer was dressed entirely in black. His hands itched to be in that hair.

"_Gameel._" Ardeth uttered the Arabic word for beautiful. "You wear our clothing well. The colors of the desert suit you."

"Thanks, Ardeth," she said and turned to stand in front of the mirror. 

Jean had to admit she looked strong and dashing in the traditional robes. She tried to put on a veil, but Ardeth stopped her.

"You are our sister now and there is no further need for you to cover your beauty while in front of us," he told her. 

Jean understood and smiled at him, despite the fact she was still shaking. Being undressed in front of him and feeling his hands roam her body as he put on her robe was definitely more than she could take. Ardeth, on his part, was still breathing hard and his hands shook as well.

"Now it is time for me to show you off," he announced, leading her outside the tent and to the feasty table. The couple was all smiles as they took their seats at it.

The warriors who had not seen her hair before were staring at her, but by then, Jean was used to that kind of curiosity and smiled at them. The Elders were eyeing her furtively and talking among themselves. Jean couldn't hear what they were saying and looked at Ardeth.

"There was a Goddess of old whose hair was red as well and I believe they are commenting on that," he explained.

"Oh, I see…" Jean smiled at them too and dinner was served, catching everyone's attention.

***

Full night came, bringing with it a blanket of calm. The desert was serene disturbed only by a gentle warm breeze and an occasional bray from the camels and horses. They too seemed to be peaceful that night.

During the last dinner with the tribe, Jean had tried to focus on the conversation, especially on what Ahmed was saying about the duty as a Med-jai, but even though it was supposed to be a celebration in her honor, she was trying very hard not to cry.

"That sounded wistful," commented the old man.

Jean was brought back to reality. "What?" She asked in confusion.

"Just now, you sighed as if your heart would break, my daughter," he said.

Jean smiled at how he had called her. "I'm sorry, I'm just a bit tired."

Ahmed shook his head. "That is not it, is it?"

"No, sir. I am going to miss this," she admitted.

The man seemed to understand her pain and looked at her fondly. "Would you like some time on your own? That might be of help."

"Yes…"

"Then go to the Nile's shore, I will excuse you with the rest of the warriors," he said, patting her hand encouragingly.

"Thank you, sir." With a bow, Jean was gone.

Knowing it would be rude from him to leave his men just to be with her, Ardeth followed her cloaked figure until she disappeared into the night. Seeing the look in his eyes, Mohammed turned to Ahmed.

_"He is taken by her."_

_"Yes, he is. But she has her own man back in her country." _

_"Pity. Still, I am sure Allah will make things favorable for our Chieftain's happiness." _He knew that as Med-jai warriors, they had the special right to choose whomever they wished to marry. It was one of their many rewards for their loyal service. And although an American woman would not have been his personal choice, Mohammed had to admit he had never seen Ardeth happier and devoted to a woman. What was more, he found Jean 

_"Inshallah,"_ was Ahmed's answer as they both focused their attention back on their dinner.


	26. Chapter twenty six

AN: Hey all!!! I'm very sorry for the delay, but I had a pretty nasty episode of pneumonia and I ended feeling so tired I couldn't even think. But now that I'm better, I present you this chapter. Enjoy and review pretty please!

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

An hour later, Ardeth found her standing by a palm tree, saying her goodbye to the Nile. She tried to quell the melancholy rising up in her, but it refused to be denied. Ardeth, who had approached her without she noticing it, saw so much pain in those eyes that all he wanted was to wipe it away and bring a smile back to her lips. He embraced her from behind, his arms wrapping possessively around her waist.

"Jean, habibi, I see sorrow in your eyes. What can I do to turn it into joy?"

"There's nothing you can do. But don't worry, it's ok."

He softly made her turn to face him and slid his arms around her neck.

"No, it is not ok. You know something Jean, when you laugh or smile it seems like the whole room lights up, and the sun shines even at night." He gently kissed her cheek. "Please don't stop the sun from shining down on me, because I couldn't face another day without your smile."

"Thank you." She whispered, her eyes sparkling green. "That was very sweet. You are strong... a handsome warrior." 

"And you, Jean, are an amazing, beautiful woman. And I love you. I know I am not supposed to say this, but I love you."

"And I love you too."

His face became very serious. "When I realized that Imhotep had taken you I was angry with myself. I also felt a helplessness and fear I have never known before. I was afraid of losing you. Jean, I will be damned for saying this to you, as you are promised to another man but I will love you until the day that I die and even beyond that," he declared.

Jean was trying very hard not to cry. "When I saw you go down when those mummies attacked I thought I would stop breathing. When Imhotep took me to the Valley of the Kings I wished I had told you before how I felt so that if I died you would know that I loved you. I love you so much that it scares me. But even so, I would fight the devil himself for you if I had to." 

"I think you did," he said with a smile on his face as he looked into her eyes.

"So did you," she replied, reaching up to push a lock of his hair back from his face. "But you will not be damned for this. Thank you for telling me how you feel."

For a long time they stared into one another's eyes, not saying a word, their focus broken only by a sudden blow of strong wind that jumbled their clothes. Ardeth reached his hand up to brush the cloud of red hair away from her face. 

Tarek had arrived at that moment and hated the idea of interrupting them, but he had to, in order to notify them that the Chiefs and Elders were leaving. The couple went to bid them farewell. Ardeth noticed the older men greeted her as if she had been a daughter to them as most of the warriors showed her respect and affability. That pleased him, there was nothing that could make him happier that knowing she had been accepted by those men, who were the only family he had known for the last years.   

As they were no longer in sight, the men started to go to their tents; it had been a long day and they looked forward to getting some rest.

Jean was about to do the same when Ardeth stopped her. "Jean, it is my turn to keep the first watch. I will retire after a few hours." 

"Okay. I'll be waiting for you."

He walked a short distance up to the top of the dune and began his watch.

Jean stayed outside for a while, looking up at the stars that were lightning up the dark night sky. One star in particular, shone more brightly than all of the rest.

"Starlight, starbright,

first star I see tonight.

I wish I may, I wish I might,

Have the wish I wish tonight."

What was her wish? What should she wish for now? The thought came to her out of the blue, and she knew the wish she should speak. "Please, in whatever he will do, however his life works out, keep him safe, and bring him all the love and happiness he deserves." The star seemed to wink at her, making her smile big. She stood there for a few more minutes, and then slowly headed to her tent.

Once she was inside, Jean undressed and got in bed. She sighed heavily, bringing the blanket up around her shoulders for warmth. She rolled over, trying to find a comfortable position, but to keep herself awaken at the same time, but she couldn't help to relax. She finally turned on her side and crooked her arm under her head and sleep took her away. 

***

Ardeth sat on top of the dune, staring over the sands. The night was peaceful and calm, much more so than he was. He looked down at their little camp and saw Jean's tent. A lopsided grin graced his face, as he thought he would soon be in there with her. He turned away to look out over the desolate plains, trying to rationalize his feelings for her. He was fascinated by her personality and her breathtaking looks. He shook his head at himself as he tried to put her from his mind and concentrate on his duty.

A couple of hours into the night and another warrior came to relieve Ardeth of his watch. Ardeth walked down to the campsite and over to Jean's tent intending to spend his last few moments of quality time with her before she left. 

She found her sleeping like an angel with her hair sprawled across the pillows and the sheets wrapped around her. Wanting to memorize her face to sustain him, Ardeth stared down at her sleeping profile for a moment, noting the slightly parted lips and the long lashes curled against her cheek as she slept. She looked so young and innocent. He sat on the bed and stroked her cheek. It would be a long time before he would see her again. They had all night to be together, and in the morning they were to depart to Cairo. He shed his robe and let his tunic fall to the floor. Quietly he slipped under the sheets and took Jean in his arms, burying his face in her hair. She smiled in her sleep, wrapped her arm around his waist and moved her face into his chest. 

It took a few moments for her to realize she wasn't dreaming and sleepily opened her eyes.

"Sorry…I tried to wait for you, but…"

"It is alright. You must rest for tomorrow's journey."

They looked into each other's eyes for a while, until finally Jean spoke.

"This is our last night..," she began.

"Shhhh. Do not talk about it now. Do not even think about it. Let us enjoy our last moments together."

"You are right," she said with a loud sigh.

He pulled her closer to him and their bodies complemented each other wonderfully. Jean smiled, her personal space had become as much his as hers and vice versa. As she lay there in bed with him, she realized it was the only moment of the day when she felt safe and with that thought in mind, she allowed Morpheus to take her into his realm. 

But that wasn't so easy for Ardeth. He didn't want to sleep, he only wanted to watch Jean sleeping the whole night, so he propped himself on one elbow and devoted that night to guard her sleep.


	27. Chapter twenty seven

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Morning came sooner than he wished and Ardeth softly got dressed and left the tent. It was before dawn, but outside he found his bother saddling the horses. Tarek saw the hurt in his eyes and placed a hand on his shoulder. Ardeth smiled at him and they both went on with their tasks, with no need for spoken words.

It was still dark when Jean walked out into the morning air and saw Ardeth, Tarek, and their horses waiting for her.

"Good morning Jean. Do you have everything ready?" Asked the younger brother, trying to put up a brave front and failing miserably.

She gave him a ghost of a smile. "Yes, I've just finished packing all the gifts you have given me."

As they were talking, every single warrior in the camp went to bid her farewell. It took her a while to greet them all, but it was definitely worth it. And she had managed to put up a brave front until it was Ahmad's turn.

The boy had waited until she had said goodbye to all the warriors before approaching her and when their eyes met, Jean felt him so close to her in spirit that it touched her. It was like saying goodbye to the dearest of her friends, to a brother.

" Bye Ahmad, take care…" she started but was unable to go on. Not with those adoring brown eyes staring up at her.

" I will miss you, Jean," he muttered, nearly choking with the painful lump on his throat.

The woman nodded and smiled tenderly at him, unable to verbalize her feelings at that moment and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek.

Ahmad smiled as well and clasped his hand to his chest, saying something in Arabic that meant he was wishing her a safe journey back home. Then he turned and walked away from her, going somewhere where he could be alone, where he wouldn't have to pretend that her departure wasn't tearing his heart. 

"It is time to go," Ardeth said sorrowfully. Jean nodded again.

He swung himself up into the saddle and kicked his foot out of the stirrup. She sighed as she realized she would be riding Diamond for the last time. She put her foot in the stirrup, swinging her own leg across the back of the horse and hitched the skirt of her Medjai robe up to tuck under her thighs. When Tarek had done the same, the three of them spurred their horses off. Jean turned around and saw that all the warriors were watching them as they galloped into the morning and some of them were waving to her.

But what she did not see was Ahmad, sitting on top of a dune and watching her as she left the camp until he could no longer see her.

_" Goodbye, my beautiful friend, sister and mistress," _he whispered before turning his eyes to the sky. _" Please Allah, bring her back to us soon."_

***

They rode hard all through the morning and Jean was miserable as she thought about the things she was leaving behind and how much she would miss the Med-jai. Noon came and went, with a brief rest for the horse and themselves, then they were back on the horse racing across the desert. She was tired already, having not fully recouped from her wound. The afternoon sun slowly dropped from view as dusk came upon them. Off in the distance, they saw a caravan heading in the opposite direction and Ardeth decided to alter their course slightly so as not to run into them. He wanted no interference in his short time with Jean, so he took them wide around the convoy, eventually getting back on course. 

The moon was up, full and high in the sky, when Ardeth decided it was time to stop. He helped her down from the horse and went about setting up their small campsite in silence, while Jean stretched her sore muscles, massaging some life back into her numb limbs and Tarek began cooking their small supper. When it was ready, they ate in silence. 

After they finished, Jean washed the few dishes and put them away while Ardeth and Tarek attended the horses. The older brother seemed troubled and Tarek wanted to help him overcome his sadness.

"She will come back, my brother," he whispered, trying to sound as reassuring as he was able to at the time.

Ardeth paused from his task of brushing Quicksand's mane and looked at Tarek straight into the eye. "I sincerely hope so, Tarek," was all he said.

The younger brother nodded and let out a faint smile. "Look…I know you want to sleep with her. Wait, Ardeth, don't cut me in," he said when he saw the look on his brother's face. "I am not stupid, I saw you set only one bedroll for both of you. I don't have a problem with that and I will try to interfere as little as possible between you two."

Ardeth was moved by his brother's sympathetic attitude. "Thank you very much for understanding how much Jean means to me."

"Well, we must support ourselves as brothers. Now, go to her, I will finish here," he urged.

The Chieftain squeezed his shoulder affectionately. "Thank you again, Tarek."

With that, Ardeth quickly left his horse and walked over to his bedroll, waiting for Jean. When she was finished, she looked over at him. Without saying a word, he held out his hand to her and she walked over into his embrace. He went closer to her, fitting her body into his and putting his arm around her waist. They fell asleep holding each other close, knowing that their time together was running out, but helpless to stop the inevitable. 

Tarek saw them sleep and a cheerless smile crossed his face. 'I wish things were different for them,' he thought, as he put his bedroll at the other side of the fire as not to disturb them. He lay down and soon he was sleeping too.

***

The next morning they resumed their ride, continuing on like the previous day, covering mile after mile of endless desert. Noon found them riding up to the outskirts of Cairo. As they rode in, the looks on their faces made a few passers by stare. Jean wore a look of defeatism laced with sadness, while Ardeth's face was blacker than thunderclouds and Tarek's expression was full of concern.

They stopped at a stable and there they left their horses to be taken care of. Jean caressed Diamond's mane and whispered something into his ear before leaving, waking Ardeth's curiosity.

"What did you say to Diamond?" He asked.

"I said goodbye to him," replied Jean sighing deeply.

"You should have told him 'see you later', as we expect you to return to us soon," pointed out the younger warrior.

"That's true, Tarek… but you never know... Now, were are you taking me?"

"There is a really nice hotel downtown were you can stay until your flight leaves tomorrow. We thought you could go there, rest for a while, shower and then we can take you sightseeing."

"Sounds great, but where will you stay?"

"At the Med-jai village. We have a house there and lots of people to visit, right Tarek?" Ardeth winked at his brother.

"Oh yeah, specially a young woman named Sheelah." 

Jean laughed. "Ok guys, take me to the hotel."

They took a cab and Jean finally had the chance to study Cairo. Yes, she had been there before going to the desert, but she had been too consumed by trying to find out what her nightmares meant as to pay any attention to the city. Now she could do so.

The skyline was a jumble of different cultures - from the colonial buildings in the French and British styles, to the gilded minarets of the mosques that immediately conjured up images of the Arabian Nights, to the tall buildings, almost skyscrapers that reminded her of her own city.

It seemed almost unreal, having arrived on horseback and now being swallowed by that impressive and modern metropolis. It took the cab quite a long time to get to the Luxor Hotel, located in the very heart of Cairo. 

It was wonderful, almost a palace itself. There were small trees and chairs to rest if you wanted, and a waterfall in the middle of the palazza. It was not very big, but extraordinarily luxurious and Jean was surprised to find an available room, for it seemed to be quite popular. She had no idea that the Med-jai robes she and her escorts were wearing had granted her a room immediately. Jean checked in and the Bellman took her trunks.

"Miss Marquet, would you like me to take you luggage up to your room?" He asked.

"Yes please, I will be up in a few minutes."

The man left and she turned to her friends.

"Shall we meet here in three hours?" She asked, glancing at her watch.

"Sounds fine to me Jean," said Tarek.

" To me too, enjoy your stay, kalila." 

"Thank you Ardeth. I'll see you tonight," she whispered and watched her two escorts turn around and walk out of the hotel.

Feeling strangely lonely, Jean took the elevator up to the tenth floor and entered her room. As she saw it, the woman froze. It had a large window with a breathtaking view of Cairo; there were flowers on top of the King bed and the whole room was decorated in gold and purple. A basket filled with fruits and cheeses was waiting for her and her trunks had been carefully placed inside the huge closet.

She slowly undressed as she nibbled on some cheese and filled the antique tub with warm water and bath foam, imagining how wonderful it would feel to take a bath in it. She went to the bedroom to retrieve her toiletries, took the basket with her and returned to the bathroom. The steam had already clouded the huge mirror on the wall above the sink. The bathtub was huge, with feet, and took up most of the back half of the room and the smell was rich and fragrant. She laid out some thick towels and sighed in relaxation as she sunk into the silky water, enjoying the heat on her tired muscles. She hadn't been wrong, it was so pleasant that she stayed there, soaking and eating for and hour.

Jean then got out and grabbed a towel, wiping off and enjoying the feel of the heavy cotton against her bare skin, dried her hair and went to bed. She couldn't sleep, so she entertained herself watching TV. Half an hour before meeting with Ardeth and Tarek, she got up and begun getting ready. She applied subtle make-up to her face and brushed her hair a hundred times to let it shiny and silky. After arguing with herself for a while, she put on a pair of golden sandals and a comfortable but elegant purple dress made of gaza that reached below her knees. She smiled at her reflection on the mirror, took her purse and left the room feeling like and Egyptian princess.

Waiting for her in the lobby were the two brothers, who simply gaped at her when she left the elevator.

"You look very beautiful Jean," said Tarek.

"And radiant as well," added his brother.

"Thanks, but you don't look so bad yourselves," she replied. They were both still wearing Med-jai robes, but those ones had intricate silver linings and Ardeth's was more decorated than Tarek's. "And I love your robes," she commented.

"Thank you, these are the ones we use in the city," informed Ardeth.

"Yeah, they are more civilized," added Tarek.

Jean laughed lightly at his expression. "I see. Well, my men, I am ready for touring," she announced.

"Then we shall please you," answered Ardeth.

They took her to Giza Port to see the steamers, they went to an observatory where Jean could delight herself watching the three Pyramids of Giza and the imposing ancient statue of the Sphinx. Then they spent the rest of the evening strolling by the streets of Cairo's open-air market and shopping. Then they went for dinner to a restaurant named Horus, where they were served magnificent Egyptian food. Throughout dinner, the two brothers gave Jean a mini-lesson of mythology. She was fascinated to hear the stories of love, death and revenge starred by Isis, Osiris, Seth and Horus.

"This restaurant is named after the falcon-headed god, Horus," Ardeth explained. 

Jean's sketchy knowledge of Egyptian mythology allowed her to recognize whom Ardeth was talking about.

"Oh, there is a god I remember… his image was unusual. A man in the form of an unidentifiable animal with large ears, a long curving snout and a forked tail."

"I think you are talking about Seth," Tarek replied. "God of chaos and disorder, who murdered his brother Osiris. Later, when he was full grown, Horus fought Seth and defeated him, avenging his father."

None of them wanted the night to end, for they were having a marvelous time, but all good things are bound to end and, at 11 PM, she was escorted back to the hotel by her two Medjai brothers.

"Thank you for everything," she told them, as the three of them stood in the lobby.

"You deserve the very best Jean," replied Tarek. "Sleep well. I will wait for you outside, Ardeth."

He acknowledged his brother with a nod and Tarek left.

"I am glad you spent a pleasant evening, Jean," murmured Ardeth, turning his attention back to her.

She closed her eyes for a second and breathed in deeply. "It was more than pleasant, Ardeth. I will really miss all this…"

"And I will miss your presence in bed tonight," he stated, making her eyes pop back open.

She blushed, and then gave him a soft kiss on the lips. "I will miss you too. See you tomorrow."

"We will pick you up at nine," reminded Ardeth, still shocked by her kiss.

"Yes. Bye," she whispered, as she entered the elevator.

"Sweet dreams, kalila," he said to the closing doors. Then he joined his brother and went to the Med-jai village, where Ardeth knew he would spend a sleepless night.

~~~~~~~~~~

Sad, isn't it? There's only one chappie left to go, so I hope you enjoyed this one. It was very hard to write, 'cause I don't want to make Jean go either, but...

Maamul filled with dates for everyone who reviews!!! And, believe me, I make excellent maamul... 

"Yes you do, my sheytana."

*blushes* Ardeth! You aren't supposed to let people know you're living with me. (Hey, I can dream, can't I?)


	28. Chapter twenty eight

AN: Oh my god... this is the last chapter!!!! It's like the end of an era for me. Well, I've had a wonderful time writing Desert Rose and I hope you have come to enjoy this story. Though the ending is not what some of you were expecting, I promise things will change in the sequel, which I'm planning to post in around 15 days. In the meantime, make sure to check my new stories, for I have a little surprise for you. Now, yes, I leave you with the ending of Desert Rose.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

It was a beautiful morning in Cairo as Ardeth Bay sat in the lounge of the Luxor Hotel. He did not bother to try to look inconspicuous as people stared at the tattoos on his face, most of them knowing they belonged to a Med-jai leader. Instead of being dressed in the traditional black robes, Ardeth looked like he had stepped out of the pages of GQ. The tattoos only accentuated his powerful masculine beauty. He wore a charcoal gray tee shirt with faded blue jeans. He was waiting for Jean; he felt she was part of his journey in this life and he was sad for the fact that they would be saying goodbye very soon and he would not see this woman he had gotten to know and to love for a long time. Tarek was sitting by his side, wearing a white t-shirt and black pants.

"At what time does her flight leave?" He asked, trying to make his brother snap out of his trance. He could literally feel the ominous vibes he emanated.

"At 12 PM," was all Ardeth replied.

"So, we have time."

"Yes."

"I will miss her," whispered Tarek, trying his best to make conversation.

Suddenly, his older brother sat up straight and turned to him. "Tarek, there is something I want to give her, but I need your authorization."

"What is it?"

"It was supposed to be for my wife or for my daughters, but I doubt I will ever have any of them…it is the Necklace of Isis."

The younger brother smiled and shrugged. "It's your call, Ardeth."

"You must understand that if I give it to her, I would be taking it away from your possible daughters as well," said Ardeth solemnly, but Tarek merely shrugged again.

"Don't worry, my brother, Jean has earnt it. You have my full approval."

"Thanks."

In that moment, Jean got out of the elevator and smiled before joining them, completely unaware of the fascination she awoke in the other men who were in the hotel lobby. She was wearing a knee length denim skirt, black sandals with 2-inch heels and a cyan tank top with rhinestones in the shape of a pyramid. It offered a striking contrast against her red hair.

"Hi, guys," she greeted.

"You are beginning to sound American," commented Tarek.

"And to look American. Where did you get those clothes?"

Ardeth's steady gaze was making her blush. " Oh, early this morning I visited one of the hotel's stores and found this. Anyway, I will always be a part of Egypt, look," she said, showing them her right arm, where the mark had refused to disappear and she knew that it would remain there for the rest of her life. "Besides, I may sound American, but you both look like you have lived all your lives in California."

"Well, we got tired of looking so Med-jai."

"You would have to do a lot more than changing clothes in order to disguise the fact that you are Med-jai, Tarek," answered Jean, fixing her eyes on the tattoos that both brothers wore.

Ardeth smiled and stood up. "Would you like to have breakfast, Jean?"

"Nope, I never have breakfast," she replied nonchalantly.

"But, Jean," protested Tarek, "you need some more flesh on your bones."

"My God, what's up with you two and my flesh?" She laughed. "I will not have breakfast, period. My trunks have been brought down here by the bellman, so I am going to check out now. You can have breakfast if you want."

She went to the front desk and the brothers ordered a quick breakfast. After finishing it, they paid and joined Jean who had finished her check-out.

"We better head to the airport," said Ardeth.

"Yup… let's go."

They went outside the hotel and the bellman called a cab for them and loaded Jean's luggage. She gave him a good tip and then got in the cab, where her two escorts were waiting for her.

_"To Cairo International, please,"_ asked Ardeth.

The driver nodded and begun driving to the airport. He would glance at his three passengers from time to time, knowing that the med were Med-jai and wondering what was that beautiful woman doing with them. He noticed they were very silent and that they seemed to be getting more and more gloomy as they approached the airport.

_"Here it is,"_ said Tarek to the driver as they arrived to the international terminal. The three of them got out of the car, as Ardeth started to pay the fare. 

_"I will not take your money, Med-jai,"_ said the man and bowed his head. 

_"May Allah be with you always,"_ replied Ardeth and then turned to walk with Jean and his brother into the chaos of people who were at the airport. 

By the front of the terminal, Ardeth asked Jean for her ticket and handed it to the baggage handler who took the two trunks and marked them for New York City. He took control of everything after they entered the terminal. It surprised her, but she was thankful for it; she was in no shape for taking care of those matters. When they arrived at the gate he checked her in and then they sat together as they still had some free time left before Jean's flight departed. Tarek left them and went to buy some coffee and Jean looked anxiously over the large window they were sitting in front of.

"God, I hate planes," she murmured.

Ardeth smiled at her. "Really? Then how come you came here alone?" He asked. 

"I must have been crazy."

"No, habibi, you had a mission. I have been on many planes before, you know, for business matters, and frankly, flying at ten thousand meters of altitude is not very appealing to me either. But I would do it in the blink of an eye to go visit you," Ardeth declared.

Jean smiled. "You are welcome to try anytime."

Tarek went back with the coffee and then the warriors went on telling Jean about Egyptian mythology. They lost track of time until a voice in the speakers interrupted them.

{Ladies and Gentlemen, this is our first call for boarding EgyptAir's flight 2808 with non-stop service to New York City. Please, have your boarding passes handy in front of gate 25 E.}

Jean froze in her seat and her hands begun trembling. "I guess that's for me."

"Yes…" Ardeth whispered, sounding devastated.

Around them, people were hurrying towards the gate, wanting to board first and get comfortable on the plane where they would spend the next eighteen hours. Tarek knew he had to be strong for his brother and for Jean, so he smiled and stood up. "You have everything ready?"

"Yes, I do." She felt numb, but obliged herself to stand up and walk to the gate. She then turned and looked at the two brothers who were unable to walk. Ardeth looked like he would faint in any moment and Tarek was forcing a smile. She opened her arms at them and they both embraced her with a strength that almost choked her.

The two men retreated and Tarek gave her a quick kiss. "May Allah smile upon you always Jean," he said to her. 

"Thanks," she responded touching his face very lightly.

He then walked away from her in order to conceal the tears that were about to escape from his eyes. Besides, he knew his brother would like to have a minute alone with Jean to say their goodbyes.

Ardeth watched his brother leave and turned to Jean. "I have something for you," he said revealing a necklace of gold, silver and lapis with the sacred symbol of Isis, "it has belonged to my tribe for decades. It's called the Necklace of Isis."

Jean's eyes widened and she gasped. "Oh, God. Ardeth, I can't accept it."      

"You are a Med-jai now, I couldn't think of a safer person to protect this heritage."

He looked at it, then back to her and with no more words spoken he put it around Jean's neck. She watched the necklace and smiled at the feeling of the cold gold against her skin. She then looked at Ardeth with tears in her eyes.

"This is one of the most valuable things I have ever been given," she whispered.

"And right now, right here, I give you my love," said Ardeth with fierce passion.

"I will cherish them both. I will never forget you." Her voice had gone raspy and she knew she would start crying any minute now.

"Jean, know this: you will always be in my heart, for you are inside of me every waking moment of my day. There will not be one day that goes by that will not think of you."

"And you must know that wherever I go and whatever I do, my heart and all my love will stay here with you and with the Med-jai."

He could no longer control himself and Ardeth fell to his knees before her, burying his face into her stomach, his arms wrapped tight around her waist. Just a few people looked at them, for those scenes were nothing out of the ordinary at any airport. Jean buried her fingers into his hair, bending over him, cradling his head to her.

"Ardeth…" she whispered on a soft sob. He stood up and surprised Jean with a light caress to her face. 

"Your man needs you. Go to him and tell him that Allah has blessed him. Make sure he realizes what gifts he has."

{Ladies and Gentlemen, this is our last call for boarding EgyptAir's flight 2808 on gate 25 E. The door will be closing anytime soon.}

Jean sighed. "I love you Ardeth, remember that." 

She softly kissed his cheek and stared into his deep brown eyes. She then broke their eye contact and went to the airline desk, where she handed the boarding pass to a man who was very interested in watching her and Ardeth, lost in his own thoughts. 'By Allah! What a beautiful woman. No wonder the dark one is taken with her!'

Smiling he took her boarding pass and cut its end, returning the main part to her. "Have a pleasant flight, Miss."

"Thank you." Jean turned to Ardeth and saw something in his eyes that made her run to him, throw her arms around his neck and kiss him passionately.

Ardeth was lost in the moment; he didn't care about any other thing but the fact that Jean was in his arms, kissing him. He tasted her sweetness hungrily and his heart and soul were on fire at the warm, velvety caress of her full lips on his. Abruptly, she pulled away with such force it brought both of them back to reality. 

"Goodbye, Ardeth." There were tears running down both's cheeks. Ardeth was in intense agony, but somehow her kiss had renewed his life.

"I will be waiting for you, al hayati." And then he added to himself as Jean disappeared. "All my life."

***

Before Jean had the time or the will to think, the plane was on the air.

As the city of Cairo grew smaller and smaller, her inner strength grew with the resolution that someday, she would make her way back across the ocean to this city that was so different from her own. Someday, she would return.

______________________

Please review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love you all, Jeanne.


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